Cowabunga! Earlier today during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem panel, it was announced Nickelodeon had acquired rights the original TMNT 1987 cartoon. Ever since Viacom obtained the IP, fans have been foaming at the mouth for the classic cartoon to be released once more. Good things come to those who wait.
Read the official press release below for details:
In advance of the Paramount Pictures release of the brand-new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem theatrical film, exclusively in theaters on August 2, Nickelodeon is expanding the beloved franchise again with the acquisition of the original 1987 animated Fred Wolf TMNT series (193 x 22-min episodes, 1987-1996).
Under the deal, Nickelodeon has acquired global rights to the storied series, which follows the adventures of the beloved characters—Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo—as they battle the Shredder, Krang and other villains and criminals. The series is slated to debut digitally later this month in the U.S., followed by Nickelodeon branded channels and digital platforms internationally.
The news was revealed today during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2023. The Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon movie follows the Turtle brothers as they set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts after years of being sheltered from the human world. 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.
Nickelodeon Movies and award-winning Point Grey Productions’ Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver are producing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The film marks Nickelodeon’s first-ever CG-animated theatrical production, in partnership with Ramsey Naito and Jason McConnell, who are overseeing production for Nickelodeon. For Point Grey, Lukas Williams is co-producing and Josh Fagen is overseeing as an Executive Producer. Paramount Pictures will handle worldwide distribution of the film, which is slated to hit theaters August 2, 2023. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is directed by Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs. the Machines, “Gravity Falls”, “Disenchantment”).
Considered one of the most popular kids’ franchises, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a classic, global property created in 1984 by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. It first debuted as a successful comic book series and then became a hit animated TV show, a live-action television series and later spawned numerous blockbuster theatrical releases. The property is a global consumer products powerhouse, winning in every category that has hit shelves to date—with toys, apparel, video games, DVDs and more—and generating billions of dollars at retail.
Nickelodeon brought the franchise to life again in 2012 with the CG-animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and then reimagined the Heroes in a Half-Shell with the 2D-animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2019.
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