Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans have been clamouring for a more gritty interpretation of the Heroes in a Half-Shell for many years, and Paramount Pictures announced that a new live-action, R-rated movie is in development during today's CinemaCon panel.
The project is going to be based on the recent IDW comic storyline, The Last Ronin.
Tyler Burton Smith, who co-wrote the upcoming dystopian action movie Boy Kills World and 2019 Child’s Play reboot, is penning the script. Former DC Film head Walter Hamada is producing through his 18hz production company as part of his multi-year deal with the studio.
The Last Ronin is a The Dark Knight Returns-style story which imagines a future where one member of the Fearsome Foursome is the last living Turtle, setting out to avenge the death of his brothers and Master Splinter by bringing down Shredder's grandson and the authoritarian descendants of the Foot Clan.
Spoiler alert:
The first issue concludes with the big reveal that it's actually Michaelangelo behind the black bandana!
This news follows the success of the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem animated movie, which has a sequel on the way.
If you're only familiar with the late '80s TMNT animated series or the previous big-screen adaptations, the notion of an R-rated take on this property may seem rather strange, but the original comic series by creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laid was quite a bit grittier than subsequent takes.
A AAA video game based on The Last Ronin was announced around this time last year. Doug Rosen, senior vice president for games and emerging media at Paramount Global, likened the upcoming third-person action role-playing game to Sony’s recent God of War titles and said it will be "authentic to the story of The Last Ronin arc, which is set in a future where only one of the turtles has survived."
What do you make of this news? Any interest in an R-rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, or do you feel that Mikey, Donnie, Leo and Raph should remain family-friendly? Drop us a comment down below.
"In the Last Ronin we run into Michaelangelo as the last Turtle and his quest for vengeance against the Foot Clan. This is the story of Mike's journey traveling around the world trying to deal with the death of his loved ones. During this time he will come across a dangerous warlord known as Death Worm."