After debuting a new trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts this morning, Paramount Pictures brought the robots in disguise to the main stage at CinemaCon! Joining the mechanical marvels for the exciting showcase is another nostalgic property, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem! The world could hear people’s inner children screaming throughout the CinemaCon crowd as robot warriors and ninja turtles prepared to return to the silver screen for new adventures. Each film offers something unique for fans, whether introducing the Maximals to the live-action Transformers franchise or depicting the Turtles using bold art.
During Paramount’s presentation, Seth Rogen took the stage to introduce Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. “I finally made a movie that if you show it to your children, you’re not a terrible parent,” Rogen joked.
Rogen says he was eight when the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie came out. He was so obsessed with the film that his father bought him a pair of nunchucks at a flea market. One day, when he was 12, he cracked his head open with the unwieldy weapon while trying to impress Evan Goldberg.
For Mutant Mayhem, Rogen wanted to lean into the teenage aspect for the first film in the franchise by casting real teenagers.
Footage from the upcoming animated adventure screened for the CinemaCon crowd, with animation reminiscent of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray says having teenagers play the characters does give the film a different energy. Ayo Edebiri of The Bear fame plays April O’Neil.
The footage introduces the villains, led by Superfly, voiced by Ice Cube. The promo is lots of fun, making the film seem like it could be a huge hit. The movie leans heavily toward comedy, much like the original live-action film. The presentation is deliberately retro but also contemporary. Jackie Chan is having a blast as Splinter, who plays a flustered dad and a martial arts master.
The official synopsis for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem reads:
“After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.”
Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, Nicolas Cantu, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Brady Noon, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and Maya Rudolph star in the animated mayhem.
Taking up directing duties will be Jeff Rowe, who recently helmed The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and co-director Kyler Spears, writer of We Bare Bears. Ramsay McBean and Josh Fagen are executive producing the project, with James Weaver joining Rogen and Goldberg as producers.
For Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Peter Cullen sent a voice message to the CinemaCon crowd. Using his Optimus Prime voice, he introduced the film’s director Steven Caple Jr. He was super flustered when he took the stage after meeting Rihanna backstage. He says he’s been working on Rise of the Beasts for years as a passion project. The film follows the Bumblebee movie directly and is set in 1994. Shot all over the world, including Montreal, New York, and more, he didn’t want to green screen locations for his Transformers love letter.
Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback were also in attendance. Fishback, a former Regal employee, shouted out all the Regal managers. Ramos is a hardcore Beast Wars fan. This role is a dream come true for him. Lastly, the soundtrack has lots of ’90s hip-hop classics.
The official synopsis for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts reads:
“Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ’90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – to join them as allies in the existing battle for earth. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the film arrives in theatres June 9, 2023.”
This installment features an all-new cast including Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Tobe Nwigwe, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Liza Koshy, John DiMaggio, David Sobolov, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pete Davidson, Colman Domingo, Cristo Fernández, and Tongayi Chirisa.
Michael Bay remains attached as a producer. But he’s also joined by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto, Don Murphy, Mark Vahradian, and Duncan Henderson. Steven Spielberg returns to executive produce with Brian Goldner, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Brian Oliver, Bradley J. Fischer, and Valerii An.
The screenplay was penned by scribes Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber from a story by Harold. And Creed II’s Steven Caple Jr. takes over the directing duties after the previous entry, Bumblebee, was helmed by Travis Knight.