Seth Rogen announced a 2023 release date for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adaptation he is producing. Though not too much is known about Rogen's take on the story, he has stated that it will be an animated coming-of-age film aimed at teenagers and kids and produced through Nickelodeon. The intended audience and backing from Nickelodeon mean that this won't be the typical stoner comedy that fans have come to expect from Rogen.
The film will also be atypical in that it will be animated, unlike the Michael Bay-produced 2014 movie adaptation or even the 1990s films. While Bay's first TMNT film did well at the box office, it received low audience scores and was panned for taking itself too seriously and being too dark to match the source material. After his second run at the franchise failed to take in half the box office its predecessor, the series was scrapped, opening up the door for someone else to come in and take a fresh run at the characters. Now that Rogen has taken the reins, the TMNT story promises to go in a new direction.
Rogen posted an image on Twitter that served as a release date announcement, letting fans know that the movie would premiere on August 11, 2023. The image looks like a piece of paper from Leonardo's notebook that has been covered in class notes, folded up, and shoved into an untidy backpack. A follow-up post confirmed the release date. Rogen also included a quick aside, stating that "Leo takes notes like I used to."
Though the most exciting part of the tweet may be the confirmation of a release date, there are plenty of easter eggs and hints of what's to come scribbled throughout the note sheet. Alongside doodles of swords, ninjas, and the stylized "S" that every kid learns to draw at some point in grade school (though this one is backward), Leo has made a note to "apologize to April," referencing the character of April O'Neil, a human ally to the turtles. It is also interesting to note that Leo is taking notes on mutations and different types of elements, spelling out TmNT(e). Under his notes on types of mutations, an asterisk points to a note that reads "unintended mutations??" This, paired with the question "who am I?" written in the margins next to a sketch of a strange ooze, could point to a theme of the film being a desire to figure out how the ninja turtles came to be. This would match with what Rogen teased about the film being a coming of age story, and could provide a fresh take for the heroes on the big screen.
Though August 2023 may seem like it's far away, it could be nice for the franchise to have a bit of a break before heading back into theaters. In terms of comics, however, there seems to be a never-ending supply of new stories and adventures for the heroes in a half shell. There are also plenty of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and tv series to watch for those itching for a dose of childhood nostalgia.
Source: Seth Rogen via Twitter