Although it has been a month since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows was released in the United States, it was not officially released in China until last weekend. As many fans have noted, China now represents one of the largest markets for film in the entire world. The first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film from Paramount and Platinum Dunes managed to pull in $62 million in ticket sales from the Chinese box office, leading many fans to wonder how successful the sequel would be in this foreign market.
TMNT 2 poster to promote the new film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Source: Paramount.
It’s worth noting that Out of the Shadows is on track to earn about as much as its predecessor at the Chinese box office. Although this isn’t necessarily going to save the film, that might not even be much of an issue anymore. Even though it has only managed to earn about $80 million in domestic markets, the movie has also brought in $114 million from foreign markets, pushing its total earnings to about $194 million. At this point, it’s safe to say that they have earned back the production budget and a considerable chunk of the advertising budget. When you factor in merchandising, chances are that this movie will prove at least somewhat fruitful for the studios involved.
I think it may be time to face the facts: Out of the Shadows simply will not be as successful as the first film in the series. Although it’s disappointing to see a movie I enjoyed doing so poorly, it is at least comforting to note its success in China and other foreign markets, as they may have actually saved the franchise. Paramount Pictures and Platinum Dunes have yet to announce their plans for another sequel, but it’s entirely possible that they will do so in the next few weeks. With SDCC 2016 fast approaching, this would be the perfect time for the studios to make an announcement.