Action director Ilya Naishuller, known for Hardcore and Nobody, was reportedly in the running to direct a feature film about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, according to media reports.
The project was subtitled “The Last Ronin” and was planned as an R-rated, more adult entry. Paramount Pictures opted instead for a family-oriented approach to Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo, leading to the Last Ronin version being shelved, although the studio said it might reconsider the idea in the future.
The Turtles originated as a comic-book series in the mid-1980s; their best-known adaptation is the 1987 animated series. The franchise has produced seven feature films in total, the most recent being “Mutant Mayhem,” which debuted in 2023.
Naishuller recently directed Heads of State, starring Idris Elba and John Cena. He is currently working on a sequel to “House by the Road,” with Jake Gyllenhaal set to play the lead.
