Nickelodeon Animation Studios has just released the teaser trailer for its newest attempt at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” Produced by and co-starring Seth Rogen, this installment seems to have a great deal more potential than some of the previous attempts to bring the mutated terrapins to the big screen.
With the likes of Paul Rudd, Giancarlo Esposito, Jackie Chan, and John Cena, the cast alone is enough to give “Mutant Mayhem” a chance to be something incredible. It will be interesting to see how some of these actors will adapt from their grittier roles into something tailored more toward children.
Along with the cast, the animation style shown in the trailer is dark and muted, a far cry from the styles used in most children’s animation. The art style demonstrates a clear influence from “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” which should give detail-oriented viewers one more reason to head to theaters this summer.
“Mutant Mayhem” looks to be telling the story of the titular turtles early in their career as crime fighters, with them still being young and naive while still possessing the martial arts prowess viewers have come to know and love. The trailer also brings out some familiar faces, showing this film’s take on April O’Neil and Master Splinter, who look to be maintaining their existing relationships with the turtles.
While there have been many different attempts at bringing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ story to the big screen, this one seems hopeful. While there will likely be fewer explosions and action than there were when Michael Bay was at the helm, “Mutant Mayhem” is sure to bring both the comedy and the charm to theaters on Aug. 4, 2023.
