A new animated TMNT short titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 — Lost in New Jersey is set to premiere in theaters ahead of the new SpongeBob SquarePants movie, and Paramount has now released the first clip.
According to the synopsis, the story will "take the beloved characters out of their comfort zone and drop them into an unlikely setting. Mixing slapstick humor, gritty animation and unexpected heart, the short film follows the turtles as they attempt to navigate the Garden State after a mishap sends them far from their New York roots."
In the clip, we see Leo, Donnie, Mikey and Raph coming to the realization that a toy company is attempting to exploit their likenesses. The title had led to speculation that the main villain might be Chrome Dome, but it looks like the character will only be introduced as an action figure.
“We wanted to honor the Ninja Turtles’ history while asking what would happen if we put them somewhere completely unfamiliar,” director Kent Seki told the trade. “New Jersey became the perfect backdrop because it’s so close to New York, yet has its own energy and quirks that challenge the turtles in new ways.”
“I grew up loving both Home Alone and the Ninja Turtles, and this project became a way to smash those influences together,” he added. “The turtles are constantly in survival mode — but here, survival means figuring out the Jersey Turnpike.”
“After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.”
Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu and Brady Noon will voice the roles of Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael, respectively. The cast also includes Jackie Chan as Splinter, Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, Ice Cube as Superfly, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Post Malone as Ray Fillet, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, and Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom.
Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs. the Machines) directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which is produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.