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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back! There are few things that people are happy to see rising from the sewers of NYC. The infamous NYC Pizza Rats and folk-legend sewer alligators are some of the strange and unsavory kinds of creatures that one might fear seeing emerge from the underground. Luckily, the next creatures emerging from the sewers may garner a bit more excitement from the public. Although they may share a penchant for a cheesy slice of pizza with the pizza rat, they enjoy fighting crime and bold colors just as much. And yes, they are known to associate with a rat or two. If you haven't guessed by now, our favorite foursome of mutant turtles is coming back to the screen. After 2018’s Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series on Nickelodeon, the turtles return in this continuation of the series finale. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie is emerging from a sewage grate near you onto Netflix in August 2022.

The movie will feature a battle against series-regular evil aliens the Krang, and the return of another series-regular face that many fans will be excited to see appear. The film will serve as a follow-up to the Nickelodeon animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The show ran from July 20, 2018 until August 7, 2020. Here's everything we know about the movie.

Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Image via Netflix

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When Is the Release Date of Rise of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie?

Netflix will be releasing Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie on their streaming platform on August 5, 2022. Netflix announced its involvement in the project in February 2019. There are no signs of a theatrical release for the film at this time. Production for the film was completed on April 7, 2022. The film originally had an earlier release date of August 27, 2021. Unfortunately, production was not completed in time and the release date was pushed back. This could have been because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a number of delays and shifts for major productions during that time.

Watch the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie Trailer

Netflix released the official trailer for the comedic action animated movie in early July. The trailer begins with the turtles flaunting a mastery of their mystical powers while stopping a speeding car chase. It then leads to the reveal of a character that many fans of the franchise might be familiar with. Casey Jones is back, this time as a student of the turtles from the future and grandson of the turtles' nemesis-turned-ally Cassandra Jones.

He brings a warning that the Earth will be decimated by an alien race known as the Krang. Jones has been sent to the past in order to help quell the impending attack and save the world before it's too late. Unfortunately for our team, it seems the Krang have already been summoned. Even worse, something occurs that makes the turtles lose their mystic powers. With the fate of the planet in their hands, the turtles and their rag-tag group of warriors will have to fight seemingly insurmountable odds to defeat the Krang.

Who Are the Cast and Confirmed Characters of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie?

The Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series was praised for its strong voice acting. Luckily for fans, much of the cast will be reprising their roles for the film.

The titular turtles return, with Ben Schwartz (Parks & Recreation) as Leonardo, Omar Benson Miller (CSI Miami) as Raphael, Brandon Mychal Smith (Sonny with a Chance) as Michelangelo, and Josh Brener (Silicon Valley) as Donatello. The supporting cast is returning as well. Eric Bauza (Ren & Stimpy) will return as the mutated rat Splinter, sensei and father figure to the turtles. Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) provides the voice of April O’Neil, the turtles' human ally and older sister figure. Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense) was a surprise later addition to the cast. He will join the fray by lending his voice to Casey Jones, a disciple of the turtles from the future coming to warn them about an impending threat.

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Who Is Making Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie?

rise-of-the-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles
Image via Netflix

More familiar faces from the television series join the production of the film. Ant Ward and Andy Suriano will be continuing the work from the television series and directing the film. The film will be produced by Nickelodeon Movies and Nickelodeon Animation Studio and distributed by Netflix. Matt Mahaffey composed the score for the movie. He also worked on the television series and has written the music for a number of Nickelodeon’s other shows. Suriano has touched on whether the movie will appeal to fans of the show or cater to newcomers saying, “… I think, if you’re watching the show and you’re a fan of the show, you’re going to get a really complete experience with the movie. But it’s also going to be a really exciting stand-alone set piece if you’re not directly familiar with the show.”

What Is the Plot of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie??

Check out the official Netflix synopsis for the movie below:

The Turtles are put to the test when a mysterious stranger named Casey Jones arrives from the future to warn the mutant brothers of an impending invasion·of the most dangerous alien force in the galaxy -- the Krang.

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More Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Projects You Can Watch Before the Movie

teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-netflix
Image via Nickelodeon

Netflix seems to be ramping up its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles content before the drop of the feature film. They released Season 1 of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the end of May 31, but that’s not all you could watch to prepare for the upcoming movie. The 2012 iteration of the series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an excellent show to watch alongside it.

Although thematically similar, there are some stylistic differences between the two. The 2012 series features CGI graphics whereas the most recent one features 2D animation in an art style that is younger and lighter than its predecessors. The most recent series also imbues the turtles with budding mystical powers to explore and master. For fans of the franchise, this is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the shows’ availability on Paramount+. Turtle-lovers everywhere can stream Season 1 of both series and familiarize themselves with the context of the movie before watching it.

If you'd like to see the turtles in live-action, Paramount+ is also home to the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. The classic 1990s live-action series, however, is on HBO Max. That's also where you can watch the 2007 animated movie TMNT and the 90s movies Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.