Paramount has officially changed the name of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.The pizza-munching heroes in a half-shell have enjoyed enormous success since their inception in 1984 with the grungy Mirage Comics, from co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. By the early ’90s, the Ninja Turtles had dominated Saturday morning cartoons, toy shelves, movie theaters, theme parks, and pretty much every form of entertainment and merch you can think of.Credit: Nickelodeon Movies / Paramount PicturesRelated: ‘Ninja Turtles’ First-Ever Major Theme Park Attraction: What To ExpectTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: A Brief HistoryAs the decades went by, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello were reinterpreted time and again across animation, action figures, comic books, video games, live-action movies, and beyond. Recent years have seen a major resurgence in popularity, partly thanks to IDW Publishing’s vastly popular comic book The Last Ronin and the box-office hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023). This year has seen the arrival of the franchise’s first-ever official pizzeria in LA, while 2027 is set to bring a TMNT stage production to North America.Despite some disappointing news last year — the shelving of the planned R-rated film adaptation of The Last Ronin — TMNT is set to continue with a lot more than those themed experiences.Paramount’s Future Plans for the TMNTParamount’s plans for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles include more novels (following this year’s The Last Ronin novelization), games, and an untitled live-action film set for release in November 2028. Mutant Mayhem is also getting a sequel next year. Meanwhile, The Last Ronin will continue with a new series titled Return for New York and the one-shot The First Ronin.Paramount has also entered a multi-year partnership with Mattel to release new toy lines.Credit: Inside the MagicNow, taking all that into account, along with the fact that 2027 marks the 40th anniversary of the 1987 cartoon series, the studio has unified the ever-expanding multimedia franchise under the new brand, World of TMNT.Per NickALive!, Paramount Vice President, Products and Experiences, EMEA, Ruth Henriquez spoke to Toy World‘s Vicky Doe about the Turtles’ next chapter, explaining that World of TMNT represents a unified brand visual identity designed to combine the franchise’s media and experiences.“It celebrates each version of the Turtles,” she said. “Your version might be different from my version, but that is how people feel connected to the property. It is genuinely multi-generational.”“There is so much brand love, but this is not just a nostalgia play. This is a franchise that is alive and active. We are creating new content and connecting with pre-schoolers, so there is a fresh approach to engaging the next generation while still being truthful to the characters and what fans have always loved about them.”What do you think of Paramount’s new direction for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise? Let us know in the comments below!The post Paramount Officially Renames ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Franchise After 42 Years appeared first on Inside the Magic.