LOS ANGELES — Earlier this summer, a set of five frozen pizza boxes began populating the freezers at Walmart. But DiGiornos these were not; these pizzas featured the masked visages of the world’s most famous crime-fighting turtles.
Yes, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
From July to December, 1.2 million boxes of TMNT-branded frozen pizzas, costing about $6, were sold in the U.S. Reviews popped up on YouTube, Reddit and TikTok as fans collected the boxes and debated the turtle-topping pairings: Is Raphael a sausage pepperoni kinda guy? Should Leonardo be plain cheese?
The pizzas were one element of Paramount’s marketing and consumer products blitz for this year’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” the first theatrical Turtles film since 2016.
For top executives at Paramount, the successful revitalization of the TMNT brand wouldn’t just take ticket sales. Instead, Paramount sought to create an overarching strategy crossing consumer products and experiences to help make “Mutant Mayhem” feel like the start of a new Turtles era — winning over old and new fans to watch the films and shows, buy the toys and, of course, eat lots of pizza.
“We’re not just making movies to sell toys,” said Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon President and Chief Executive Brian Robbins in an interview at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles. “We’re making movies to make great movies. And if we make great movies, for that audience, for that demo, with properties that have proven play patterns, then the rest will come.”
From Paramount’s perspective, the plan worked. “Mutant Mayhem” grossed a decent $180 million at the box office on a $70 million budget. The TMNT franchise is projected to drive $1 billion in retail sales, driven by products like the frozen pizzas and “Mutant Mayhem” action figures from longtime TMNT toy maker Playmates. That’s a spike coming after the modest prior $10 billion in lifetime sales from the 39-year-old TMNT franchise.
Paramount replicated this strategy with its preschool-focused sequel “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” which grossed $195.6 million worldwide from a $30 million budget and boosted Paramount+ viewership. Retail sales of Paw Patrol–themed items (toothbrushes, Crocs, pajamas and books) generated roughly $1.5 billion, helping Paramount bring in $2.5 billion in retail sales from TMNT and Paw Patrol this year.
Those figures pale in comparison to the billions brought in by consumer products behemoth Disney, which drove $61.7 billion in global retail sales during 2022, according to a report from License Global. But Paw Patrol and TMNT are wins for Paramount, whose theatrical animation business has long struggled. Though Paramount Animation’s first movie, “Rango,” won the 2012 Oscar for animated feature, many of its subsequent releases, such as “Sherlock Gnomes” and “Wonder Park,” bombed.
“Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” and “Mutant Mayhem” are feathers in the cap for Robbins, who was tapped to lead the film studio in 2021 after holding top positions at Paramount Players and Nickelodeon.
The animated success came in a year when some of Paramount’s big swings, including “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” disappointed theatrically. For the first nine months of 2023, Paramount’s film segment posted an operating loss of $143 million.
Since taking the reins, Robbins has zeroed in on franchises to build up the studio, which has been caught up in Paramount Global’s last decade of separations, mergers and shakeups. The saga continues today, as owner Shari Redstone reportedly considers selling a controlling stake in National Amusements, which owns the majority of Paramount Global’s voting shares.
Two years in, Robbins’ plans are clear: go all-in on established IP, including in animation. In 2025, the studio’s film slate will include three animated franchise plays surrounding the Smurfs, SpongeBob Squarepants and Avatar: The Last Airbender. By 2026, the third “Paw Patrol” film, in partnership with toy maker Spin Master, will head to theaters.
Along the way, Paramount will again use its marketing prowess to juice its consumer products and experiences division (coffee, clothes and pet products for “Mean Girls” fans tied to upcoming live-action movie musical; drinkable yogurt, branded toothbrushes and games for the Paw Patrol and SpongeBob set).
“We talk constantly about what’s happening in the film business, we talk about release dates, we talk about marketing, and it is a really collaborative approach when it comes to franchise films like Turtles and Paw Patrol,” said Pam Kaufman, president and CEO of international markets, global consumer products and experiences for Paramount.
“Our retailers and licensees … know when they’re partnering with Paramount, not only are they partnering on a show and a film ¶ that translates into great products,” Kaufman said. “Our company will get behind it across all platforms and all markets.”
Robbins said he had to fight to get the first “Paw Patrol” movie and “Mutant Mayhem” made, lobbying Paramount Global Chief Executive Bob Bakish when others didn’t see the theatrical potential for preschooler and teen fare.
The emphasis on animated franchises isn’t a coincidence. The longer production time helps the studio space out sequels to help build excitement and avoid audience fatigue. And given Paramount’s past animated flops, the focus on existing IP is a safe bet as original animated movies like Disney’s “Wish” struggle at the box office.
