Last month, it was reported and confirmed that, fresh off its merger, the newly created Paramount Skydance would be looking to "Sonicfy" its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IP with a new live-action/CGI film.
This new direction also meant that the pre-merger announced adaptation of the adult-oriented The Last Ronin, would now be put on the back burner.
But what does that project mean for the upcoming sequel to TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, if anything?
Recently, io9 caught up with director Jeff Rowe, who stated that as of now, he hasn't heard anything about impacts to his upcoming sequel and that he's confident that the two projects can coexist, citing examples of Tom Holland's MCU Spider-Man movies existing alongside the Spider-Verse films.
"No one’s called me and told me anything yet," Rowe told the site.
He continued, "It seems like we’re moving into a world where maybe multiple things can coexist. And, you know, there was a time when there were live-action Spider-Man movies being made at the same time as Spider-Verse. I love these characters and welcome as many takes on the franchise as people are willing to put out there."
However, it's worth noting that the upcoming second season of the tie-in, Paramount+ TV series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, was confirmed to be its last, after there were reports that the series order had been upped to four due to delays in the sequel's release date.
Yet, Rowe indicated that while the film may not have set the box office on fire, tie-in toy sales were very strong. Stating that the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 – Lost in New Jersey short playing in front of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (hitting theaters December 19) came about because "the toy company needed more things out there because they sold very well."
Back in May, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 was delayed from its original October 9, 2026, release date to September 17, 2027.
The sequel is expected to pick up on the end credits stinger from the first film, which teased the arrival of a formidable foe, as Cynthia Utrom enlisting the notorious Shredder to combat the Turtles.
Rowe previously offered insights into the sequel's direction, particularly regarding Shredder's prominent role. "Shredder is just a great character. He’s an iconic, classic, loved character. He’s like the Joker. You know who he is, even if you’re not a fan of the source material," Rowe stated. "I think we definitely wanna do a villain-forward film."