Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sequel Officially Official, Will Arrive In 2026
Cowabunga, dudes. Paramount Pictures has announced that the still-untitled sequel to last year's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" has locked in a release date. Mark your calendars for October 9, 2026, and plan accordingly. The date was confirmed by the studio in addition to several other moves on Paramount's release schedule over the next couple of years.
This might be seen as a bit of a good news/bad news situation. The good news is that Paramount is moving full-steam ahead on the sequel, which had previously been confirmed. The bad news is that 2026 is a lot longer than many fans likely want to wait. That said, it's good that director Jeff Rowe and the rest of the creative team aren't being rushed here. "Mutant Mayhem" was widely regarded as one of the best "TMNT" movies ever — if not the best (read /Film's 9 out of 10 review right here). Preserving that quality in the follow-up is a good thing.
Fortunately, there will be something to help tide us all over until then. It was previously revealed that Paramount is developing a two-season animated TV show set in the same universe that will serve as a bridge between the movies. The "Mutant Mayhem" spin-off show is set to air on Paramount+ sometime between now and when the sequel arrives. So fear not: Donnie, Raph, Leo, and Mikey will grace our screens again sooner rather than later.
The heroes in a half-shell return in 2026
Plot details for the sequel are being kept under wraps for the time being. The first movie concluded with a tease of what's to come: namely, the Turtles' arch-nemesis, Shredder. When /Film's own Ethan Anderton spoke to director Jeff Rowe last year, the filmmaker expressed excitement about getting to introduce the villain in the sequel:
"Shredder is so cool. I can't wait to introduce that character and figure out that character and design that character and figure out how the camera's going to move for that character. And I think also just seeing — it was a minute before we started recording all of the Turtles together at the same time, and that's when the movie really came alive. And I'm going to be excited to start there on this one and then see where we get to by the end."
"Mutant Mayhem" was a solid hit for Paramount, taking in $180 million worldwide against a $70 million budget. But the movie made a lot more money off of merchandise, particularly toy sales. As such, the studio is eager to keep this iteration of the franchise going. So don't be surprised if the heroes in a half-shell have a strong presence between now and 2026, be it on TV, in comics, or in video games.
Look for the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" sequel on October 9, 2026.