Paramount Pictures has advanced the release date of its animated sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 to August 13, 2027, from the previously scheduled September 17. The film, directed by Jeff Rowe with co-directors Kyler Spears and Yashar Kassai, continues the franchise's momentum following the first movie's success in 2023. This shift positions the sequel during a summer window to better engage young audiences.
The announcement comes as Paramount prioritizes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, which the studio acquired in 2009 from creators Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, released on August 2, 2023, earned $118.7 million domestically and approximately $181 million worldwide, despite industry strikes limiting promotion. It also drove $1 billion in retail sales for Paramount in 2023, supported by over 400 licensees and availability in more than 550 retailers across 220 markets.
Producers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Josh Fagen, and Ramsay McBean return for the sequel, with Lukas Williams as executive producer. Development on Mutant Mayhem 2 began before the first film's theatrical debut, reflecting Paramount's confidence in the property, especially under recent Skydance management.
On its new date, the movie will compete with a Warner Bros. film directed by Tim Miller starring Keanu Reeves and a Universal Blumhouse production. Paramount is expanding the TMNT brand further, including a live-action/CG hybrid set for November 17, 2028—the first live-action entry since 2016's Out of the Shadows—a Mattel toy licensing deal starting in 2027, an illustrated book for middle schoolers, an adult novel based on The Last Ronin graphic novel, a preschool digital series on YouTube, and themed pizzerias in locations such as Santa Monica, Monterrey, Mexico, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.