Summary:
- Tom Waltz hopes Judith Hoag, the original April O’Neil, will return for the R-rated adaptation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin.
- He believes her involvement will delight longtime fans. The live-action adaptation, produced by Walter Hamada for Paramount Pictures, is set in a dystopian future in New York City.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles writer Tom Waltz hopes that Judith Hoag, the original April O’Neil, will return for the R-rated adaptation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin. Waltz believes her involvement will delight longtime fans of the franchise.
In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Tom Waltz, a significant contributor to the TMNT franchise through various video games and comics, including The Last Ronin and its sequel, expressed his desire for Judith Hoag to reprise her role.
“For much of the Ninja Turtles audience, [Judith] Hoag’s portrayal of April had a formative impact on their attachment to the series,” Waltz said.
Judith Hoag first portrayed April O’Neil in the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, a film that remains beloved by fans.
Although she did not return for subsequent sequels, Hoag made a cameo in a deleted scene from the 2016 reboot, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
Waltz hopes Hoag will be involved in the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Last Ronin.
“My dream is for the lovely and talented Judith Hoag to be a part of something we do in other media for THE LAST RONIN,” he added.
TMNT: The Last Ronin Is Set in a Future, Battle-Ravaged New York City
Created by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, and Andy Kuhn with art from Kuhn and Ben Bates, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin began in 2020 and spanned five issues.
The series is set in a dystopian future New York City ruled by a descendant of Shredder. The story follows the last surviving Turtle on a mission for justice.
The official synopsis for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin reads:
“Who is the Last Ronin? In a future, battle-ravaged New York City, a lone surviving Turtle embarks on a seemingly hopeless mission seeking justice for the family he lost.
From legendary TMNT co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, get ready for the final story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles three decades in the making!”
The live-action adaptation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is being produced by Walter Hamada for Paramount Pictures, with Tyler Burton Smith (Boy Kills World, Child’s Play) writing the script. No director or cast members have been announced yet.
Upcoming Projects for the TMNT Franchise
Additionally, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continue to thrive in animated form. The characters were recently rebooted by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and director Jeff Rowe in the critically acclaimed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, introducing Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael to a new generation of fans.
The combination of past and future projects shows the franchise’s enduring appeal and potential for fresh, exciting stories.
