Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one of the most enduring entertainment franchises of all time. Between comic books, video games, action figures, and movies, the sarcastic, funny, and kickass adolescent reptiles have been relevant in a variety of mediums since the 1980s. What was once a signature franchise for Generation X and Millennials has now been passed down to new generations of fans.
Still, the heartbeat of the fandom comes from these older generations. TMNT lost its way a little bit in recent years, but original fans have now attempted to bring back what made the stories and characters so unique. It started with the video game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, which came out in the summer of 2022, and now it extends to the Seth Rogen-produced film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
A few things become clear when you watch the trailer. First, the film’s creators are making good on their promise to emphasize the “teenage” in teenage mutant ninja turtles. While previous adaptations have forgotten this aspect of the characters — often treating them like adults — these turtles are still kids… but that doesn’t mean it’ll be too juvenile a story for the Gen Xers and Millennials who grew up loving the crime-fighting quartet.
Because the other thing the trailer makes clear? This isn’t a flick that’s geared only toward kids and teens. The animation style resembles that of the 2018 superhero film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (and who didn’t love that?). Animated movies that attempt to reach more of an adult audience often use more creative, unique, or new animation techniques. Animation that is trying to reach a child or teenage audience is sometimes more colorful and traditional. The edgy designs and the offbeat lighting give Mutant Mayhem a way to immediately communicate with a more mature audience — and is a great medium to portray the gritty New York streets the turtles protect.
What actors are voicing the characters in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem?
The film will feature the voices of many well-known acting talents. Paul Rudd, Giancarlo Esposito, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, and John Cena will all lend their voice acting to a variety of characters in the film. The turtles will be voiced by relatively unknown younger actors such as Brady Noon as Raphael, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, and Micah Abbey as Donatello.
When does Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem come out in theaters?
The film is slated to be released on August 4, 2023. The film is produced by Paramount Pictures and directed by Jeff Rowe. The theatrical release is another sign that Hollywood films are starting to focus back on theatrical releases again rather than straight-to-streaming like during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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