Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
The four Turtles on skateboards and scooters. Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jeff Rowe
Produced by	Seth Rogen Evan Goldberg James Weaver
Screenplay by	Seth Rogen Evan Goldberg Jeff Rowe Dan Hernandez Benji Samit
Story by	Brendan O'Brien Seth Rogen Evan Goldberg Jeff Rowe
Based on	Characters by Peter Laird Kevin Eastman
Starring	Micah Abbey Shamon Brown Jr. Nicolas Cantu Brady Noon Ayo Edebiri Maya Rudolph John Cena Seth Rogen Rose Byrne Natasia Demetriou Giancarlo Esposito Jackie Chan Ice Cube Paul Rudd Austin Post Hannibal Buress
Music by	Trent Reznor Atticus Ross
Cinematography	Kent Seki
Edited by	Greg Levitan
Production company	Nickelodeon Movies Point Grey Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	June 12, 2023 (2023-06-12) (Annecy) August 2, 2023 (2023-08-02) (United States)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$70 million
Box office	$176.7 million

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 Turtles series. The film stars the voices of Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon, alongside an ensemble voice cast that includes Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Rogen, Rose Byrne, Natasia Demetriou, Giancarlo Esposito, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Paul Rudd, Post Malone, and Hannibal Buress. In the film, the Turtles go on a hunt for a mysterious crime syndicate, but trouble arises when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them. The story explores themes of family, acceptance, and the desire to fit in.

Mutant Mayhem was produced by Nickelodeon Movies and Point Grey Pictures. The film was announced in June 2020, with Rowe as director. Kyler Spears joined soon after as co-director. The animation was provided by Mikros Animation in Montreal and Paris and Cinesite in Vancouver and Montreal, 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 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 has grossed $176 million worldwide and received positive reviews for its performances, screenplay, and stylized animation; several critics considered it the best Turtles film. A follow-up television series, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is set to premiere on Paramount+, and a sequel film is in development.

Plot

Techno Cosmic Research Institute (TCRI) executive Cynthia Utrom sends a squad to hunt down rogue scientist Baxter Stockman, who has created a mutagenic ooze with which he intends to form his own mutant animal family, starting with a housefly. Baxter is interrupted by Cynthia's strike force and killed in the resulting explosion, while the mutagen falls into the sewers of New York City. The mutagen turns four turtle brothers—Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello—and a rat named Splinter into humanoid mutants, whereupon Splinter adopts the turtles. Splinter distrusts humanity—particularly after one encounter where he and the turtles were chased away—and trains his sons in the art of ninjutsu, instructing them to only leave their sewer home to steal supplies. Over the years, the Turtles long to live with and like humans their age, much to Splinter's dismay.

Fifteen years later, the Turtles defeat a gang of criminals to recover a stolen moped belonging to a teenager named April O'Neil, revealing themselves and their origins. April, an aspiring journalist struggling to move past a viral incident of vomiting on camera, has been investigating a series of robberies of TCRI technology by a criminal known as "Superfly". The Turtles plan to stop Superfly and, through April's reporting, win public acceptance as heroes. They intercept a piece of stolen technology and meet Superfly under the Brooklyn Bridge, discovering that he is not only a mutant himself, but leader of a mutant gang. Ecstatic to meet fellow mutants, the Turtles bond with Superfly and the others and he reveals their creation at the hands of Stockman, explaining that they evaded TCRI and are living on an abandoned ship in Staten Island. He then reveals that he plans to use the stolen technology to mutate every animal on Earth and create a world where mutants have dominance over humans.

The Turtles try to intervene, but the gang escapes with the equipment while a tracker TCRI installed on the equipment falls back with the Turtles, allowing them to be captured. At TCRI headquarters, Cynthia extracts the Turtles' mutagen, but April arrives with Splinter to rescue them. At the gang's hideout, Splinter and the Turtles convince them that their plan for domination will make them no better than the worst of humanity, and together they turn on Superfly, destroying his machine. However, the ooze falls into the water, combining marine wildlife with Superfly, who then transforms into a gigantic whale-like kaiju after grabbing animals from a nearby zoo. He attacks the city and the Turtles and other mutants attempt to stop him but are assumed by the public to be fellow monsters.

Leonardo finds his voice as a leader while April overcomes her anxiety and commandeers a news broadcast to explain the mutants' good intentions and the citizens of New York come to their aid. With the help of the citizens and other mutants, the Turtles drop a canister of TCRI retro-mutagen into Superfly's blowhole, turning him back into a collection of normal animals. Reconciling with Splinter, the Turtles, April, and the mutants are celebrated by the city. The mutants soon move into the sewers with them. Splinter and Scumbug fall in love and the Turtles enroll at April's high school, where they are all embraced as heroes. While the Turtles and April enjoy themselves at prom, they are under surveillance from Cynthia (holding the now unmutated Superfly captive), who plans to recapture the Turtles by enlisting the aid of the mysterious Shredder.

Voice cast

See also: List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters

• Micah Abbey as Donatello
• Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo
• Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo
• Brady Noon as Raphael
• Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil
• Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom
• John Cena as Rocksteady
• Seth Rogen as Bebop
• Rose Byrne as Leatherhead
• Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut
• Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman
• Jackie Chan as Splinter
• Ice Cube as Superfly
• Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko
• Post Malone (credited as "Austin Post") as Ray Fillet
• Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog
• MrBeast as Times Square Guy
• Derek Wilson as Spider
• Lukas Williams as Curious Goon
• Michael Badalucco as Bad Bernie
• Dempsey Pappion as Bald Bronson
• John Capodice as Cab Driver
• Andia Winslow as TV Anchor
• Raechel Wong as News Anchor
• David Faustino as Normal Nate
• Daniel Mastrogiorgio as:
  • Toupee Tom
  • Police Officer
• Noel Gibson as:
  • Responding Police Officer
  • Military Advisor
• Myra Owyang as Short Sharon
• Kevin Eastman as Good Human
• Alex Hirsch as:
  • Bossy Goon
  • Scumbug
• Michael Rianda as:
  • Wants a Paycheck Goon
  • Chop Shop Boss
  • Ratatouille Guard
• Bobby Wagner as Man Who Thought a Giant Rat Was a Big Cat But It Was Actually a Rat
• Greg Levitan as Gecko Goon
• Illya Quinteros as Helpful Construction Worker
• Natalie Canizares as Sign My Baby Mom
• Kyler Spears as Apologetic Goon
• Jeff Rowe as Man Who Loves Being Young and Free to Go Places

Production

Development

Following Ramsey Naito's appointment at Nickelodeon in 2018, she and Brian Robbins discussed who to bring onto the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Seth Rogen was decided upon, and Jeff Rowe joined the project soon after. In June 2020, Deadline Hollywood reported that Nickelodeon Animation Studio was developing a computer-animated Turtles film for Paramount Pictures. Rowe was hired to direct, from a screenplay by Brendan O'Brien. Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and James Weaver produced through their production company, Point Grey Pictures, which is credited alongside Nickelodeon Movies. Naito and Josh Fagen oversaw production for Nickelodeon and Point Grey, respectively.

In an August 2020 interview with Collider, Rogen said that the film would heavily lean into the teenage element of Turtles. He stated,

As a lifelong fan of Ninja Turtles, weirdly the 'Teenage' part of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was always the part that stuck out to me the most. And as someone who loves teenage movies, and who's made a lot of teenage movies, and who literally got their start in their entire profession by writing a teenage movie, the idea of kind of honing in on that element was really exciting to us. I mean, not disregarding the rest, but really using that as kind of a jumping-off point for the film.

In June 2021, Rogen revealed a teaser image through his Twitter page, which contained school notes written by Leonardo, the film's original release date, and other details. By October 2021, the film was under the working title Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Chapter. Production designer, Yashar Kassai, elaborated on the project, "You anchor yourself enough in the familiar elements of it so that it is easily recognizable, but then you either add to or enhance some of the existing charm of the franchise." The title Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem had been finalized by August 2022. Kyler Spears joined the film as co-director, signing on because he had worked with Rowe on his prior film, The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021). J.J. Villard was commissioned to design the film's logo.

Writing

Ultimately, Rogen, Goldberg, and Rowe, along with the writing team of Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, received screenplay credit, with O'Brien and the former three having "story by" billing. Rogen and Rowe wanted the film to emphasize the teenage aspect of the Turtles. Rowe compared Mutant Mayhem to the coming-of-age films, Stand by Me (1986) and Lady Bird (2017) and remarked that his goal was to make "the ultimate teenage coming-of-age film." He described the Turtles as having an "inauthentic confidence that teenagers have", adding that teenagers often ''operate with this hyped-up sense of, 'We can do anything!'"

The writers wanted to create their own version of Turtles lore and did not take all elements from previous iterations into account. Rowe explained that they aimed "to make it more logical", and skated past a lot of things "to make it really operate from a place of character and relatability". Rowe cited his admiration for the classic Turtles toys as the reason why a lot of mutant characters were written into the film. Shredder was originally the main villain of Mutant Mayhem, but was written out because Rowe wanted the film's villain to be a mutant who could relate to the Turtles and who the Turtles could relate to and be tempted by. Superfly was originally going to be a mutated version of Baxter Stockman, a character who has been turned into a mutant fly in past Turtles media. The two ultimately wound up being separate characters.

An early draft of Mutant Mayhem was more of a high school film. Rowe explained that with the initial version, it was hard to make the Turtles' lives intersect with the crime villain plot in a natural way, adding that the Turtles had already achieved their goal early on in the script. As a result, the film had to "reset 30 minutes in", and new characters, other kids in the high school, and relationships had to be established. Rowe described it as "tedious." Eventually, in July 2022, Rogen approached Rowe through text message, telling him that the film was "fundamentally broken" and had to be completely changed, a sentiment with which Rowe agreed. Consequentially, in the next four months, the film was completely rewritten and boarded into its final state.

Casting

On March 4, 2023, during the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, Rogen revealed that actors Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon (all of whom were in attendance) had been cast in the voice roles of the Turtles: Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael respectively. Other cast members revealed in their respective roles in the ceremony were Rogen himself, Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Paul Rudd, and Maya Rudolph.

Mutant Mayhem marks the first time all four Turtles are portrayed by teenage actors. Prior to that, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), which featured Corey Feldman as Donatello, was released when the actor was 19 years old. Rogen felt that the decision to cast teenagers for the parts in Mutant Mayhem made it stand out from previous versions of Turtles, saying "something very intuitive became something that really opened up our version".

Hundreds of actors auditioned for the roles of the Turtles. Rowe watched every tape and narrowed them down to the ones he felt worked. He edited voices into the character designs to see which suited which. After narrowing it down to ten, Abbey, Brown, Cantu, and Noon had a chemistry table read together, with them ultimately landing the roles. Rowe described the four as "perfect", and the table read as "kinetic and alive." In recruiting Chan, he wrote a letter to him asking if he wanted to be part of a Turtles film. The team held a meeting with Ice Cube, who, when told his character's name was Superfly, laughed and agreed to sign on. Ice Cube also chose to sign on because of his and his son's emotional connection with the Turtles franchise.

Abbey drew from the characteristics of his friends and previous portrayals of the character for his performance as Donatello. Brown did not want to do the typical "surfer dude" voice for Michelangelo during the audition process. Inspired by Brandon Mychal Smith's take on the character in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018–2020), he sought to do his "own thing with it." Cantu wanted to bring a "quality of nervousness" to Leonardo, feeling that there was a "level of anxiety that comes with leading the group." Noon wanted to balance Raphael's rage with a more lighthearted and funny performance to make him more relatable. In portraying April O'Neil, Edebiri wanted to hearken back to her teenage years and tap into her character's determination.

Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman appears in a voice cameo as a citizen that helps Splinter during the climax, credited as "Good Human". Rowe wanted the role to be voiced by "someone meaningful to the franchise", and chose to cast Eastman as an homage to Stan Lee's cameos in Marvel Comics adaptations until his passing in 2018. Scumbug uses a blend of different voices but is credited to Alex Hirsch.

Voice recording

In contrast to the norm for animation, the cast recorded their voice roles together in groups rather than independently from one another. A single recording session could include up to seven actors. This environment allowed for the cast to play off each other as well as employ a lot of improvisation in their performances. Rogen was partly influenced to apply this approach to Mutant Mayhem from his experience recording The Lion King (2019) with Donald Glover and Billy Eichner. He described the process as follows:

For every session, we lumped people together. So every time the four turtles were recorded, they were together. I and John Cena were Bebop and Rocksteady, and we recorded together. Ice Cube has a bunch of scenes with the kids, and they are recorded together. So we really went out of our way and bent over backward on Ninja Turtles to try to capture that improvisational energy that you get when a lot of people are in the same place at the same time.

Rogen directed particular praise towards Abbey, Brown, Cantu, and Noon and said that they tried to "capture the way they actually interacted with each other" in the film. He recalled an account of one recording session with the quartet and how "they would all hang out together in the kitchen of the recording studio, and they would all just talk over each other and make fun of each other; screaming at each other." According to him, the event was what pushed them to start having the four record together, as he felt that the energy was right for the film.

Design

Like with his previous outing, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Rowe wanted Mutant Mayhem to look different from what was expected from an animated film. The director's aim was to make it heavily resemble the concept art. He was inspired by sketches he made in school notebooks as a teenager and how they tend to have a lot of exaggerated features, spikes, and random effects lines, and wanted the film's animation to reflect a similar feeling. Rowe described the film's sketch look as its "North Star", as the comic book-inspired look was for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018).

Production designer Yashar Kassai found working out the style of the film one of the most difficult parts of the production. He and Rowe encouraged the artists to embrace their imperfections and draw like teenagers. Kassai cited the 1987 television series and the classic toyline as big inspirations for the production team. "We were looking back to the time when sophomoric gross-out humor was the comedic style of the day. So we started there, but then we added the teenage drawing aspect on top of it as a very strong top layer." He also cited Chungking Express (1994) as a heavy influence on the film's visuals. Since a lot of the film takes place at night, the artists spent a lot of time diversifying what New York looks like at night and giving it a variety of different color schemes.

Rowe and lead character designer Woodrow White pushed for less bulky versions of the Turtles and to have the main four sport more teenage builds. Similar to Michelangelo and his braces, Donatello was given glasses not as a defining trait of geekiness and wisdom but rather as one of adolescence. With Splinter, White wanted to lean into the dad aspect of the character and have him look disheveled "from the stresses of parenthood." As a ninja master, Splinter wears a kataginu he cut from a bathrobe, which also reflects the DIY nature of the character. Additionally, White gave him sweatpants, which he described as "a common staple of stay-at-home parents." Jeff Bridges's Dude character from The Big Lebowski (1998) served as inspiration for Splinter's fashion, while his build was inspired by Danny DeVito. White also studied photos of actual rats when designing the character. For Splinters fighting style, the filmmakers studied his actor, Jackie Chan, in films such as Police Story (1985) and Rumble in the Bronx (1995).

White did not want to make Leatherhead look too muscular, but rather very much like what an actual alligator would look like if it stood on two legs. He collaborated with Kassai when designing Genghis Frog and based the character's look on that of a pixie frog. Rocksteady was given a larger head to emphasize the character's horn, which White felt was a rhinoceros's defining feature. With Ray Fillet, he wanted to give the character a more "menacing edge" and "inject more manta ray" into him. Similarly, White wanted Wingnut to be more bat-like than previous versions of the character by keeping her wings on her arms.

Animation

The film was animated by Mikros Animation in Montreal and Paris and Cinesite in Vancouver and Montreal. Mikros was hired in 2022 to handle the bulk of the animation, with Cinesite joining soon after to produce nearly 25 minutes.

Mikros was one of many studios that completed a test shot for the feature. It featured 40 seconds of Donatello talking. The studio was tasked with matching the CGI animation as closely as possible to the 2D reference provided. According to Mikros visual effects supervisor Matthieu Rouxel, Rowe told them, "If the picture looks like a 2D painting when it is not moving, that means we are good". The test helped Mikros realize the need to make specific developments to their rendering for the film: stylized shaders, curves, and edges.

Mikros built a shader prototype with the toonshader of Arnold render engine serving as a starter base. While the prototype was good for the test, the team knew they had to develop it further for the scale of a film. Rowe told the studio to avoid a "Photoshop filter feeling". The team realized the sophistication of the look and the need to be able to add graphic features to the lighting, "making it look as if they were painted one after another with different strokes". Mikros lead developer of shading, lighting, and rendering Marcel Reinhard, developed a shader that could isolate lights on the shading of objects and characters and give them special treatments. These treatments included scribbles, cross hatching, stepping, and color transitions.

As Mutant Mayhem's stylized CG employs elements of 2D animation to achieve a sketchbook look, Cinesite's staffers, who had only had experience with CGI, had to quickly learn how to use 2D. To speed up the process, they sought out sequences and style guides from Mikros. Additionally, a group of five traditional 2D effects animators to train the team were assembled, and Toon Boom software was brought into their pipeline. Using these resources and tools, Cinesite developed internal animation tests, with regular feedback from Rowe on whether they matched Mikros' work.

Cinematography

Kent Seki, head of cinematography, wanted to highlight the Turtles' youthfulness by keeping the camera close, handheld, and alive. He described it as being shot like "[you're] on the run" and used teenagers knack for getting into trouble as inspiration. To capture the Turtles as they engaged in antics both comedic and action, he adopted a cinéma vérité style of filming, shaped by the works of Emmanuel Lubezki and Spike Jonze. Seki also sought to contrast Jonze's handheld style with a more formal camera language influenced by early Paul Thomas Anderson and his cinematographer Robert Elswit's work in Boogie Nights (1997). When shooting scenes, they would alternate between these two different methods to present a dichotomy of the teenage world and the adult world: "So if the kids were being reprimanded by Splinter, [we] would be much steadier with the camerawork, and then when we cut back to the kids, they'd be a little bit more handheld, a little more loose, and those kinds of things started to creep into the cinematography."

Music

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In May 2023, it was announced that the score was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, with Gabe Hilfer as music supervisor. The score album was released by Reznor's label, The Null Corporation on July 28, 2023.

Mutant Mayhem features hip-hop music from popular artists, with a heavy emphasis on classic East Coast hip-hop to go with the film's setting. Many of the songs used in the films were ones that Rogen and Rowe would regularly listen to. According to Rogen, Rowe likened the soundtrack to that of the Tony Hawk's video game series. Rogen would describe it as a "random assortment of music" that fits together well and shares the "same energy and spirit".

Vanilla Ice's "Ninja Rap" from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) is featured in the film, a suggestion that was made by Rogen. According to Rowe, getting legal clearance for Blackstreet's "No Diggity" was difficult. The team explored using alternatives for the sequence featuring the song, such as DMX's "Ruff Ryder's Anthem". However, after watching a version of the film with "No Diggity", it was agreed that it should stay. 4 Non Blondes "What's Up?" is used during a chase sequence in the film; it transitions into the "He-Man remix" of the song by SLACKCiRCUS, a viral internet meme from 2005. The sequence was originally set to the track "Goochie Goochie Goo" from Reznor and Ross's score, which Rowe praised. After a screening, the team felt that the scene would be better if it was funnier, with Rogen suggesting they use "a crazy version" of "What's Up". An official playlist of some songs featured in the film was released on Spotify.

Themes

Goldberg described the film as overall being about a father, his four sons, and the importance of family. A major theme in the film is acceptance. The Turtles isolation from the world is meant to mirror a teenager's desire to fit in, and their father, Splinter, fears the worst in humanity after being rejected by them. The theme was an early part of Rogen and Goldberg's pitch. Rowe felt that it was something that had not been tackled in the franchise before, saying "It acknowledges these fantastical things in a way that grounds them in the real world".

When asked whether the film was written as an immigration fable, Rowe responded that, while that was not the intention, as the story came along, the team started to recognize the parallels between Splinter and a first-generation parent who moved to the country. According to the director, a lot of the team have had such family situations, and the theme became something they continued to lean on. "So it wasn't the intention, but it became highlighted through execution."

Release

Theatrical

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was screened as a work in progress at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 12, 2023. According to TheWrap, the cut shown had "just a few scenes of rough animation but was otherwise complete", including the score. At the end of the screening, the film received a six-minute standing ovation, with audience and social media reactions reportedly being positive. Mutant Mayhem was theatrically released in the United States on August 2 in Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and RealD 3D formats. The film also had several promotional advance screenings before its theatrical release.

It was originally scheduled for release on August 11, but was later pushed a week forward to August 4, before being pushed forward again by two days to its final date. In the United Kingdom, the film was released two days earlier, on July 31.

Marketing

Rowe discussed the film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2022, where a brief bit of animation was shown. Rafael Motamayor of /Film compared the film's visual aesthetic to Arcane, both having a "punk" style that he described as fun. To accompany the title announcement in August 2022, a mural promoting the film went up in New York City. In December 2022, PeaTos and Paramount Consumer Products announced that PeaTos' Crunchy Pizza Rings would feature Mutant Mayhem branding in a promotion timed to the film's release.

Along with the cast announcement, a sneak peek was shown at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on March 4, 2023. A teaser trailer was released online on March 6, set to A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It?". Charles Pulliam-Moore at The Verge gave the trailer a positive review and called the animation "gorgeous," highlighting its "sketch-like art direction and the gritty / grimy texturedness." Writing for The Escapist, Matthew Razak similarly praised the trailer and noted the Turtles' more youthful nature compared to previous portrayals, commenting, "These Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actually sound and look like teenagers." Extended footage from the film was shown at CinemaCon on April 27. The A.V. Club spoke positively of it for its humor, animation, and voice performances. An official full-length trailer was released on May 31. Gizmodo's James Whitbrook called it "absolutely stunning visually" and appreciated that the trailer gave "a little more downtime with the Turtles and their yearning for a life a little more normal than the one provided by being a mutant ninja teen."

Pizza Hut announced a new advertising campaign for Mutant Mayhem on June 21, including underground deliveries in a New York City subway station, an augmented reality (AR) mobile game, pizza boxes themed to the film, and television advertisements. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Experience ran from July 23 to August 1 in New York City and Los Angeles and allowed guests to explore the Turtles underground sewer lair. An official Roblox video game developed by Gamefam was released alongside the film. Costumes based on the Turtles were available in Fall Guys for a limited amount of time beginning on August 17.

Streaming and home media

Paramount Home Entertainment released Mutant Mayhem for digital download on September 1, 2023. The release included three behind-the-scenes featurettes and a tutorial video on how to draw Leonardo. The film was available to stream on Paramount+ beginning on September 19.

Reception

Box office

As of October 1, 2023, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem has grossed $117.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $59.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $176.7 million.

In the United States and Canada, Mutant Mayhem was projected to gross around $30 million from 3,851 theaters over its first five days of release. The film made $10.2 million on its first day (including $3.85 million from Tuesday night previews). It went on to make $28 million in its opening weekend (and a total of $43 million over the five days), finishing fourth behind Barbie, Meg 2: The Trench, and Oppenheimer. The film made $15.7 million and $8.4 million in its second and third weekends, finishing in third and fourth, respectively.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 238 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "With its unique visual style and a story that captures the essence of the franchise's appeal, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is an animated treat for the whole family." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 74 out of 100, based on 47 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled at PostTrak gave it an 88% overall positive score, with 70% saying they would definitely recommend the film.

Mutant Mayhem received positive reviews for its performances, screenplay, and stylized animation; several critics considered it the best Turtles film. Tom Jorgensen of IGN gave the film an 8 out of 10 rating, praising the animation, Chan's performance as Splinter, and Reznor and Ross's score. He wrote that the film "oozes confidence, energy, and heart" and "represented a new high for the Turtles on the big screen." Charlotte O'Sullivan of the Evening Standard gave the film a 4 out of 5 star rating, writing, "This New York-based cartoon is peppy, anarchic, doesn't talk down to teens, looks scrumdiddlyumptious, boasts an impeccably laconic soundtrack and gives us April O'Neil as we've never seen her before."

Empire's John Nugent gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, praising its animation, writing, and performances, particularly Chan as Splinter. He summarized: "Inventively animated, giddily funny, and a surprisingly authentic take on the outsider experience: it is virtually impossible not to be charmed by these reptilian bros." /Film's Rafael Motomayor gave the film a 9 out of 10 and lauded Rowe's direction, the animation and character designs, performances, score, and the film's use of licensed music. Awarding the film an A- grade, Liz Miller of Consequence wrote, "In a time when so much of what we consume can feel plastic, cheap, and mass-produced, it's the human touch we come to crave—especially when it leads to something as fun as this." Deadline Hollywood's Pete Hammond applauded the script, humor, and performances of Abbey, Brown, Cantu, and Noon. He concluded, "Rogen has made his mark on a franchise that still finds new ways to smartly entertain amid all that mayhem."

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the feature a 2.5 out of 4, calling the animation a highlight but criticizing the story and characterization for lacking depth. Writing for Variety, Peter Debruge commended Rowe's direction and called the script "wildly original in places" but a "recycled glob of tired clichés in others." The Daily Beast's Nick Schager wrote, "Considering Rogen's participation as both a writer and actor, it's surprising that Mutant Mayhem plays it so safe, not merely in terms of plot but with regards to its comedy."

Future

In June 2022, Robbins said that there were plans for multiple animated Turtles films. In a July 2023 interview, Rowe expressed interest in returning for a sequel featuring the Shredder. Later that month, it was reported that a sequel and a two-season 2D animated television series for Paramount+, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, had been greenlit. Rowe is set to return to direct the sequel, and Point Grey will produce both the sequel and the series. A video game tie-in, based on the film, from publisher Outright Games is scheduled for a 2024 release for Windows and unspecified consoles.

External links

• Media related to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem at Wikimedia Commons
• Quotations related to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem at Wikiquote
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem at IMDb