As part of a slew of 2025 and 2026 theatrical slate additions, Paramount Pictures has set release dates for the sequels to “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.”
The third “Paw Patrol” movie is getting a prime late summer slot on July 31, 2026, while “TMNT 2” will hit theaters on Oct. 9, 2026.
Both animated films were solid box office successes for Paramount last year, with “Paw Patrol 2” grossing $202 million worldwide against a reported $30 million budget while “TMNT: Mutant Mayhem” grossed $180.5 million against a $70 million budget.
But for both films, the big money is in merchandising, as the “Ninja Turtles” franchise cleared $1 billion in merch sales in 2023 around the release of “Mutant Mayhem.” “Paw Patrol” is also a huge seller among kids, reporting $8 billion in merch sales between 2014 and 2019.
Both films will play a larger role in Paramount’s efforts to expand its footprint in theatrical animation through Paramount Animation under the leadership of president Ramsey Naito. Other films set for release include “Transformers One” this September and new films from the “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Smurfs” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender” series in 2025.
“Paw Patrol 3” is the first major animated title to enter the summer 2026 slate, and is staking out the late summer spot that “Mutant Mayhem” took last year. In doing so, Paramount will distance itself from any films competitors like Pixar, Illumination or DreamWorks that may move in to June or early July.
“TMNT 2,” meanwhile, will try to bring in family audiences and hardcore “Turtles” fans in the autumn several weeks prior to Thanksgiving weekend when Walt Disney Animation has historically released a movie. While Disney has not announced what that movie will be, there’s a good chance that the previously announced “Frozen 3” could take that November 2026 spot.
