Paramount’s turning 2028 into a two-franchise showdown, with new Sonic and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies now locked in for the holiday season.
The studio has set release dates for two untitled franchise films, one in the Sonic universe and one a new live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hybrid. The untitled TMNT movie is scheduled to hit theaters on November 17, 2028, while the untitled Sonic Universe “event film” is dated for December 22, 2028. Both projects join a busy slate that also includes Sonic the Hedgehog 4 in 2027 and the animated Mutant Mayhem sequel in 2027.
The Sonic project is being described as a Sonic Universe event film, separate from Sonic the Hedgehog 4, which is currently slated for March 19, 2027. Plot details are being kept quiet for now, and there is no official word on which characters will lead the story or how directly it will tie into the existing trilogy. Producer Neal H. Moritz and his Original Film banner are on board again, alongside Sega, signaling that this will be treated as a major entry rather than a side project.
On the Turtles side, Paramount has slotted an untitled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live action and CG hybrid for November 17, 2028. This will be the first live action TMNT movie since 2016’s Out of the Shadows and is planned as a family friendly hybrid that mixes real world photography with CG versions of Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Neal H. Moritz is attached here as well, stepping in to guide a new live action reboot after the success of the recent animated approach.
This new film will sit alongside the animated branch of the franchise rather than replace it. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem arrived in 2023, with a follow up currently lined up for a September 17, 2027 release. The 2028 live action hybrid gives Paramount a way to run parallel tracks, one animated and one live action, for different parts of the audience.
The two 2028 dates plant both Sonic and TMNT firmly in the holiday corridor. The November 17 TMNT slot drops the Turtles into the pre–Thanksgiving frame, while Sonic’s December 22 date aims straight at Christmas week and year end crowds. That positioning, combined with the long lead time, suggests the studio is treating both as tentpole releases with room for large scale visual effects and extended marketing campaigns.
These moves also strengthen Paramount’s broader franchise strategy. By pairing a Sonic Universe event film with a new TMNT hybrid in the same year, the studio is signaling confidence that both brands can carry their own corner of the calendar without cannibalizing each other. Fans now have clear dates to circle, even if the stories and casts remain under wraps for a while longer.
As production ramps up, expect a slow rollout of information, from director news and casting to first look images and teaser trailers. For now, what is certain is simple: November 17 and December 22, 2028 are shaping up to be big days for anyone who grew up with blue blurs and sewer dwelling heroes.
