Once upon a time, Paramount Pictures was developing an R-rated adaptation of The Last Ronin, the comic mini-series written by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz. Nobody filmmaker Ilya Naishuller was in talks to direct, but unfortunately, the project was shelved because “the new regime wasn’t keen on having the first non-animated movie in 10 years be a bloody, adult-skewing story.” Needless to say, fans were very disappointed, but now they have cause to be angry all over again. It seems that Judith Hoag, who played April O’Neil in the original live-action movie, was in talks to return for The Last Ronin.
Judith Hoag on The Last Ronin
The actress recently appeared at Big Lick Comic-Con. She shared some news (via Collider) about The Last Ronin, revealing that she had been talking with the studio about returning before the project was scrapped.
“Yes, I’ve been approached, and I’d be happy. It would be a great bookend for me,” Hoag said. “And maybe that happens and maybe it doesn’t. We’ll see.“
She added that The Last Ronin is “a wonderful story,” before wondering if Paramount executives don’t fully understand what the fans really want. “Maybe you need to go to a Comic-Con and spend some time with the fans,” she said.
The Last Ronin takes place in a future, battle-ravaged New York City, where a lone surviving Turtle embarks on a seemingly hopeless mission seeking justice for the family he lost.
What’s Next for TMNT
Although we aren’t getting The Last Ronin anytime soon, there are other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles projects in the works. A sequel to the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is on the way for a September 17, 2027 release.
Additionally, a new live-action/animated hybrid is in development for a 2028 release. The plan is to “Sonic-fy” the franchise, which is why the studio has turned to Neal H. Moritz, the producer behind the three Sonic the Hedgehog movies. This means that the future of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is undoubtedly going to be much more family-friendly than The Last Ronin would have been. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that we might see it one day.
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