(Image source: Paramount Pictures)
Since the last live-action film, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows," underperformed at the box office, Paramount Pictures has been actively trying to reboot the live-action franchise, even tapping various writing teams to develop scripts.
For instance, last April, Paramount announced plans for a live-action film adaptation of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" comic "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin". The studio intended to stay true to the comic's dark and heavy tone, aiming for an R-rated adaptation. However, a year later, this version has been shelved. Paramount, which recently merged with Skydance Media, has new leadership who are reportedly reluctant to launch a new live-action "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" series, especially after more than a decade, with a high-risk R-rated film as its first installment.
(Image source: IDW)
The Hollywood Reporter (THR) indicates that Paramount/Skydance has now tapped Neal H. Moritz, producer of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" film series, to develop a different live-action "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" franchise. Paramount/Skydance's explicit directive for the new series is to make it "more 'Sonic the Hedgehog'-like."
THR added, however, that Paramount/Skydance has not entirely abandoned the live-action "The Last Ronin" project, leaving open the possibility of revisiting it in the future. Reportedly, before "The Last Ronin" was put on hold, "Nobody" director Ilya Naishuller was in talks to helm the film. However, if the adaptation is revived at a later date, it's unlikely he would still be attached to direct.