Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem sequel confirms release date – though it's still a long way off

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) — (Image credit: Paramount)

Paramount and Nickelodeon have finally confirmed when everyone's favorite weapon-wielding, pizza-scoffing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be back on the big screen – though fans have got a long while to wait.

While laying out its plans for the next couple of years, Paramount revealed that the follow-up to last year's hit animation Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will be released on October 9, 2026, marking a lengthy three years between installments.

Released in August 2023, the first movie centers on righteous reptilians Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Raphael (Brady Noon), Donatello (Micah Abbey), and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), as they set out to win the hearts of their fellow New Yorkers, after years of being sheltered from the human world by their "father" Splinter. Alongside their new friend, April O'Neil (Ayo Edebiri), the anthropomorphic foursome start fighting crime on the city streets, but soon find themselves in over their shells when they become the target of an army of ooze-altered baddies. Seth Rogen, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Paul Rudd, and Jackie Chan are among the star-studded voice cast.

It proved a commercial and critical success, earning $180 million at the worldwide box office and pulling in hugely positive reviews (and a 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes). It's no surprise then that Jeff Rowe, who co-wrote and directed the flick, will be returning for the second chapter.

While the sequel's plot remains under wraps – or should we say shell? – for now, it's worth noting that Mutant Mayhem ended with a tease of the turtles' most iconic enemy Shredder, which suggests he'll appear later down the line.

"We'll Dark Knight it," Rowe previously joked to SFX magazine. "When you've grown and you've become confident as a teenager, to then go up against a foe that is three times scarier than anything you've ever seen before, that's interesting and dramatic."

Elsewhere in Variety's report, Paramount announced that a new Paw Patrol movie is on the way, and will be released on July 31, 2026. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies heading our way.

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.