Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze Returns to Theaters for 35th Anniversary

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Published Jan 30, 2026, 3:26 PM EST

A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation."

An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account.

Ninja rap will be reborn this year, as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze returns to theaters. Fathom Entertainment, Saga Arts, and Warner Bros. Pictures are bringing the 1991 martial arts superhero sequel back to the big screen nationwide. It will be released from one week only, from March 13–19.

The re-release comes on the heels of Fathom's successful re-release of 1990's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles last year; it became an unexpected box-office hit, as it grossed $3.7 million USD and had its planned two-day run expand into a four-week engagement. Like its predecessor, The Secret of the Ooze will also be shown in an all-new 4K restoration. An all-new documentary, The Ninja Turtles: Revolutions, will be screened before the film; it features TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman discussing his artistic process and the evolution of the franchise.

What Is 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze' About?

Following the events of the first film, the Nina Turtles and their sensei, Splinter, have defeated the Foot Clan and settled in with April O'Neil (Paige Turco, replacing Judith Hoag) in her too-small apartment. When she interviews scientist Jordan Perry (David Warner) of Techno Global Research Industries, the Turtles realize that Perry's research into mutagenic ooze may have created them, as well. Meanwhile, the Shredder (François Chau) has returned for vengeance, and he's acquired some of the ooze for himself, using it to mutate a pair of zoo animals into the monstrous Tokka and Razhar. With Shredder's creatures rampaging through the city, the Turtles are going to need help from April, Professor Perry, and their new friend, pizza delivery boy and partial artist Keno (Ernie Reyes, Jr.)...but Shredder is prepared to enhance his own power at any cost. Also, Vanilla Ice is there, because it was 1991.

The Secret of the Ooze came on the heels of the massive success of the original live-action TMNT movie, which became the highest-grossing independent film of all time. Lighter and goofier than the original film, The Secret of the Ooze did not match its critical or financial success, but still grossed $78 million on a $25 million budget. It went on to spawn a third sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, in 1993.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze will be re-released in theaters for one week only, from March 13–19; check your local theater for showtimes and tickets. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.