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When and Where Is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Coming Out?
Watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Trailers
What Is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem About?
Who’s Making Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem?
Who’s In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Cast?
It’s crazy to believe just how iconic the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have become worldwide, but at the same time, how couldn’t they with an awesome name like that? Starting from humble beginnings as a comic book series in the mid-1980s, they were originally created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. In the decades since the TMNT franchise has shown very little sign of its popularity slowing down anytime soon. Our pizza-loving heroes have made their influential mark on pop culture across numerous TV shows, as action figures, in many video games, and in plenty of films too! Speaking of the films, it’s been a very interesting journey for TMNT on the big screen. After first appearing in a live-action trilogy in the early 1990s, they made the jump to animation in 2007. Only a few years later in 2014, they went back to live-action again for another two films. Now in 2023, they’re returned once again for a brand-new animated adventure! It’s called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.First announced in June 2020, details on this new entry in the TMNT film franchise had been relatively quiet with only a few tidbits of information being teased. Until now, that is! There’s been many exciting updates recently revealed about the highly anticipated animated film, so there’s never been a better time to share them all in one dedicated space. Keep reading below to find out everything we know so far about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem!Editor's Note: This article was updated on July 22, 2023.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Animation
Adventure
Action
The film follows the Turtle brothers as they work to earn the love of New York City while facing down an army of mutants.
- Release Date
- August 2, 2023
- Director
- Jeff Rowe , Kyle Spears
- Cast
- Rose Byrne , Seth Rogen , Giancarlo Esposito , Jackie Chan , Paul Rudd
- Main Genre
- Animation
Related:'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' Poster Arrives With Style
When and Where Is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Coming Out?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is currently scheduled to debut in theaters on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. The film was previously scheduled for August 4, but turtle fans should be happy with the earlier release date. This will likely be a theater-exclusive debut, with a digital release date announced further down the line. Tickets for the movie are now on sale, so hurry up and grab yours!
Watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Trailers
Yes, there is! This very first teaser trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was just released on March 6. It doesn’t give away too much about the story, however it does a great job of giving us our first looks at the titular heroes and some of the supporting characters. Seth Rogen, being one of the producers on this new film, wanted to place a larger focus on the "teenage" aspect of the titular turtles. Fortunately, it seems like that was the right call to make as the trailer wonderfully showcases their strong brotherly bond and upbeat energy. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo look like they’re always having a blast together, whether they’re just hanging out or trying to be heroes. Apart from the turtles, we briefly get to see Master Splinter, plus a few different villains from TMNT’s rogues’ gallery such as Bebop and Rocksteady. We also get a fun introduction to reporter April O’Neil, who will likely play a big part in helping the turtles become famous and save the city.
The trailer also highlights the stellar animation style of the film, sharing sketch-like qualities similar to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It feels very much like a comic book coming to life and suits this world well based on what we’ve seen so far.
The first full trailer (seen above) leans heavily into the "Mutant Mayhem" as we not only get more of the turtles and Splinter, but we see how the rest of the mutants in New York play a role in the film. On July 18, we also get a new video from Mutant Mayhem, showing the Turtles' origin story, with Splinter narrating how he first found them, how they were transformed by the ooze, and how they became a family. See it here:
On July 21, a new sneak peek clip from Mutant Mayhem was released, showing Splinter catching the turtles trying to sneak back into their home after they caught a movie... with humans. Here it is:
What Is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem About?
The official synopsis for this new TMNT film reads as follows:
After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtles set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a notorious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.
The synopsis confirms that this new film will offer a fresh take on the TMNT story, essentially serving as a reboot to the series. The four brothers will be newcomers to the hero game, needing to prove their worth to the people of New York. What remains vague though is who the film’s central villain will be. A “notorious crime syndicate” could indicate franchise mainstays like the Foot Clan being the Turtles’ main opponent this time around. That said, many villains have been confirmed to be in the film thanks to casting details (more on that later!), so it will be intriguing to see how events unfold. Either way, the young heroes will certainly have their work cut out for them as they try to protect the city.
Related:‘TMNT’ Experience Lets Fans Explore the Turtles Sewer Lair Ahead of ‘Mutant Mayhem'
Who’s Making Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem?
Behind the scenes, Jeff Rowe is serving as the director of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. This will be his solo directorial debut after previously co-writing the 2021 animated film, The Mitchells vs. the Machines. He has also previously written for animated shows such as Gravity Falls and Disenchantment. The screenplay has been written by Brendan O'Brien (Neighbours).
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are two of the producers of the film. The duo has worked together on numerous film and TV productions across the board as writers, directors, and producers. Most recently as producers, they have worked on TV shows such as The Boys, Invincible, and Pam and Tommy, as well as films such as Long Shot and Good Boys. Additionally, James Warner serves as a third producer on the film. He is currently the president of Point Grey Pictures, the film and television production company founded by Rogen and Goldberg.
When Describing their new take on the Heroes in a Half-Shell, Rogen said,
The film itself is permeated with this teenage energy – where you don’t stay in the lines, and you’re pushing harder on the stuff that you like, and you’re impressionably scribbling in the background, It needed to capture that – we can never have boring scenes, because the movie itself just seems to be crackling with energy.
Who’s In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Cast?
To usher in this new cinematic era for the franchise, an all-star cast of stars has been assembled to lend their voices to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The impressively stacked cast list of TMNT: Mutant Mayhem includes Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Brady Noon as Raphael, Jackie Chan as Master Splinter, and Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil. Also appearing are Seth Rogen as Bebop, John Cena as Rocksteady, Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, Ice Cube as Superfly, Post Malone as Ray Fillet, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, and, last but not least, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman.
There are going to be a lot of beloved TMNT characters in this film to say the very least! However, there are two names that are surprisingly missing from the list. There’s no mention of the Turtles’ archenemy, Shredder, or their human ally, vigilante Casey Jones…maybe they can be introduced in a potential sequel? Only time will tell if Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem can win over critics and fans alike. With an awesome creative team and cast behind it though, let’s hope fortune favors our favorite team of turtles!