How Much TMNT Mutant Mayhem Cost To Make & What Box Office It Needs

With the hype building for Paramount's TMNT Mutant Mayhem, the movie must meet certain expectations to make back its budget and be a success.

The box office success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a question still waiting to be answered, partly depending on how much it cost to make. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem has received strong reviews from critics so far, however, a positive score does not guarantee success. Animated films have been a success at the box office in 2023, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse being among the highest-grossing movies this year.

With animated movies at the forefront of 2023 box office stories, TMNT: Mutant Mayhem has a real chance at thriving if audiences receive the film as well as critics. Despite its popularity, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has struggled on the big screen, failing to release any movies that gained massive success and popularity. This year is a real chance for the franchise to thrive with Paramount and Nickelodeon having big plans for TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, having announced a sequel is in the works. Whilst there is clear ambition from the studios, the box office success of the movie will likely determine if the sequel and new show ever happen.

TMNT: Mutant Mayhem has a budget of around $70 million, although the exact figure is estimated to be somewhere between $70-80 million. The budget excludes printing and advertising costs, and while it may not seem like a huge budget in comparison to other big movies this year, it is a relative risk for the studio. With Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves flopping at the box office and the mixed box office of Mission Impossible 7, a relatively big-budget animated film could prove to be a gamble. Alongside this, the limited success of TMNT movies only adds to the film's pressure to perform.

With a stacked cast including the likes of Seth Rogen, John Cena, and Jackie Chan, the film does have star attractions that justify its budget. There are plenty more big names involved, but the budget also seems to have translated to its animation. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem somewhat mimics the Spider-Verse style of animation, fitting the more youthful, energetic style the film is going for. With the recent success of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, the overall presentation of the film is a style audiences are clearly interested in. With a sequel already lined up, Paramount will be banking on this one being a hit to make the $70 million budget pay off.

Without knowing the printing and advertising costs, it is difficult to work out an exact amount Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will have to make to be a success but, if one were to double the budget to include marketing, an estimated $200 million would likely see the movie profit. Considering rough advertising costs as well as the revenue of movie theaters, the movie making $200 million would be considered successful. Paramount will also have the option to add the movie to Paramount+ in the future, and while it does nothing for the box office total, it will factor into the movie's overall success. Toy sales will also drive the holistic performance of the movie as these tie-ins and merchandise contribute to its profitability allowing some leeway for its box office performance.

Born in Glasgow Scotland, Kyle is a passionate journalist who has a keen interest in TV and film. Kyle has six years experience studying journalism including a HND in Practical Journalism and a BA Honours in Journalism, Media and Communication and History. Having studied in many different areas such as feature writing, news writing, broadcast and radio journalism, Kyle enjoys exploring a wide range of journalistic areas. When not writing, Kyle finds himself watching a plethora of TV shows including the Walking Dead and watching films particularly in the superhero genre. Alongside that, he thoroughly enjoys playing video games.