Despite being widely panned by critics, Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot opened well above expectations to an impressive $65 million domestic, the fourth-biggest August premiere of all time. Produced by Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and directed by Jonathan Liebesman, the film enjoyed an audience made up of kids familiar with the current Nickelodeon incarnation, as well as nostalgic older fans that grew up with the original cartoon series and films.
With an overseas haul that leaves the worldwide box office total somewhere around $97 million, Paramount has wasted no time greenlighting a sequel. Deadline confirmed this morning that the next installment of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise will arrive on June 3, 2016. Adam Goodman, President of Paramount’s Film Group, released a short statement:
“Launching a new take on the Turtles into the feature film world was a daunting task because as fans of them ourselves, we felt a great responsibility to ensure audiences were going to experience everything they loved about the Turtles, while also getting to see them brought to life in a way they had never been seen before. The result exceeded our high expectations and the response to the film is beyond great, making it all the more fun to get started on the continuation of their story.”
Screenwriters Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec will return to write the sequel, which will once again be produced by Bay and Platinum Dunes. No word yet on whether Liebesman will return to the director’s chair.