One of the most enduring franchises to come out of the ’80s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been nearly constantly on the air or in theaters in one form or another since the original cartoon aired. Now, Nickelodeon has announced the turtles are heading back to the big screen in an animated reboot. Seth Rogen’s production company, Point Grey Pictures, is producing.
Jeff Rowe (Gravity Falls, Connected) will be directing a Brendan O’Brien (Neighbors: Sorority Rising, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates) screenplay.
Rogen’s company might seem like an odd choice if you haven’t been following his production career, but they’ve already been involved with comic adaptations, including the critically acclaimed Preacher and The Boys. Rogen also starred in the sadly overlooked Green Hornet. Obviously, TMNT is more kid-friendly than those properties, but the studio knows how to put together quality superhero fare.
This will be the second attempt to launch an animated film series off the franchise, with the 2007 TMNT being the first. That film, while quite enjoyable, didn’t move the box office needle much, so the series went back to live action with two Michael Bay-produced films, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. The latter released to diminishing returns though a third film, which would once again reboot everything, was reportedly in the works. It isn’t clear if this film, with Bay now completely out of the picture, is the same reboot or a new project. The movie will not be connected to Nickelodeon’s currently running Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, though that series is getting a film on Netflix.
