Mutant Mayhem Kicks Shell And Takes Names

There's no live-action reboot in these sewers. Nickelodeon has released the first trailer for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" and it's already looking like one of the most promising animated films of the year. The animated flick, which comes from "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" co-director Jeff Rowe, is produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's Point Grey Pictures. 

Unlike previous entries in the franchise, Rogen's latest is set to focus on the titular turtles navigating the ups and downs of teenhood. In an interview with Collider in 2020, Rogen teased that this aspect was the most important for him to explore. "And as someone who loves teenage movies, and who's made a lot of teenage movies, and who literally got their start in their entire profession by writing a teenage movie, the idea of kind of honing in on that element was really exciting to us," he said. 

While the bombastic visuals and action sequences are interesting in their own right, "Mutant Mayhem" boasts an all-star cast that should make the "TMNT" flick a hit at the box office. Iconic martial artist Jackie Chan is stepping into the voice booth as Master Splinter, the surrogate father of the titular mutant ninja turtles. Joining Chan is "The Bear" standout Ayo Edebiri, who voices April O'Neil. Other cast members include Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, Seth Rogen, and John Cena. As for the voices our new turtles? Micah Abbey is Donatello, with Brady Noon stepping into the toes of Raphael. Leonardo and Michaelangelo are voiced by Nicholas Cantu and Shamon Brown Jr., respectively.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" slashes its way into cinemas on August 4 2023.