‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:’ mutant mayhem…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a 2023 American computer-animated superhero film directed by Jeff Rowe, who co-wrote the screenplay with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit. It is the seventh theatrical Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film and a reboot of the series. The film stars the voices of Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon as the titular team alongside a supporting ensemble voice cast that includes Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Rogen, Paul Rudd, and Maya Rudolph. In the film, after years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtles set out to be accepted as normal teenagers through acts of heroism. The brothers go on a hunt for a mysterious crime syndicate, but trouble arises when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.
Nickelodeon announced Mutant Mayhem in June 2020, with Rogen, Goldberg, and James Weaver producing under their Point Grey Pictures banner, and Rowe as director. Kyler Spears joined as co-director soon after. The animation was provided by Mikros Animation in Montreal and Paris and Cinesite in Vancouver and was primarily influenced by school notebook sketches. Seeking to explore the teenage aspect of the Turtles, the filmmakers drew inspiration from teenage coming-of-age films. The majority of the cast was announced in March 2023. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed the musical score.
Mutant Mayhem was screened as a work-in-progress at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 12, 2023, and was released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on August 2, 2023. It received positive reviews, with praise for its vocal performances, script, and stylized animation; several critics named it the best Turtles film. It has grossed $51 million worldwide to date. A follow-up television series, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is set to premiere on Paramount+, while a sequel is in development..