Paramount Pictures is developing a live-action adaptation of 'The Last Ronin', which is a bloody and intense graphic novel series by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz.
- Apr 12, 2024
AceShowbiz - "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is coming back to theaters bolder and grittier. After first gracing the big screen more than three decades ago, the usually kid-friendly franchise is targeting adults with its upcoming movie adaptation.
Paramount Pictures is confirmed to have been developing a bloody live-action "TMNT" film based on "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin", which itself is a bloody and intense graphic novel series by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz, based on a story by Eastman and Peter Laird. It is aimed to be an R-rated movie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter which first reported the news, Tyler Burton Smith, who co-wrote the upcoming R-rated action movie "Boy Kills World" and who wrote the 2019 iteration of Chucky horror franchise "Child's Play", is tapped to pen the script. Walter Hamada is producing through his 18hz production company as part of his multiyear deal with the studio.
Set in a bleak, dystopian future, the IDW comic series sees Oroku Hiroto, the grandson of the Turtles' arch-nemesis, Shredder, ruling New York City as a totalitarian despot. Hiroto has killed all but one of the Turtles, as well as their mentor Splinter, with the remaining Turtle seeking revenge by wielding all four of their signature weapons.
The comic series was an enormous critical and financial success, spanning a prequel series that was released last year and a sequel series set to be released later this year. It ranked second on Circana BookScan's list of the top selling graphic novels in 2023. A video game adaptation is also in development.
"The Last Ronin" will mark the first time the franchise has been adapted for an adult audience. The latest film in the franchise, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem", was released in 2023 and was a modest hit for Paramount. A sequel to the animated movie, separate from the live-action, is currently also in the works for a 2026 release date.
