Paramount is making major moves with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
A new report from THR says the studio is bringing in Sonic the Hedgehog producer Neal H. Moritz to oversee a new live-action/CG hybrid TMNT movie, a shift that immediately impacts the entire franchise slate.
Paramount Wants a “Sonic-Style” TMNT
According to THR’s Borys Kit, Paramount is looking to “Sonic-fy” the brand with Moritz, signaling a more mainstream, four-quadrant direction.
It also explains why the long-developed The Last Ronin movie has been sidelined.
Moritz already helped turn Sonic into one of Paramount’s strongest franchises. The insider quote for THR says it all: “If you want Sonic, you go to the guy who did Sonic.”
Paramount is going to attempt to "SONIC-fy" its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise with Moritz. That means that LAST RONIN, the R-rated TMNT movie, is off the table (and earlier this year had NOBODY director Ilya Naishuller in talks to helm but a deal never closed). https://t.co/zlogJSekN5
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) November 20, 2025
The Last Ronin Movie Is Off the Table
This shake-up means the R-rated Last Ronin live-action/CG project is no longer moving forward. That film had Nobody director Ilya Naishuller in talks to helm earlier this year, but the deal never closed.
Sources for THR say the new Skydance-controlled Paramount leadership, headed by David Ellison, didn’t want the Turtles’ first non-animated movie in a decade to be a violent, adult story.
The Last Ronin is now “put back in the pizza box,” with no signs it will be revived anytime soon.
Mutant Mayhem Sequel Still Moving Ahead
Their report also says Paramount is moving forward with the animated sequel to Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Mutant Mayhem, set for September 17, 2027, with Jeff Rowe returning to direct.
Recently also saw the news that Paramount canceled the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.
