Do you need to watch Mutant Mayhem before Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles season 1 on Paramount+?

The movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem premiered in 2023, bringing our favorite ninja turtles (who happen to be teenagers) back to the big screen. And soon, they will appear on the small screen in the series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, exclusively on Paramount+. But do you need to watch the movie to understand the series or can you skip it? What about all other movies and series based on the pizza-loving heroes? 

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is arriving just in time to help parents keep their kids entertained until school is back in session. All you will need to watch the animated series is a Paramount+ account. The series features the voices of Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, and Ayo Edebiri. 

If those names sounds familiar, that’s because it is the same voice cast from the movie, which I love! The actors voiced the characters perfectly, so I can’t wait to see these colorful characters come back to life by the same cast. Now, this brings us to our main question, do you need to watch the movie before the series? Here's what we know!

The story takes place two months after the movie TMNT: Mutant Mayhem and sees Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael juggle their lives as heroes who are also dealing with teen issues with the help of their new friend April. And as if that’s not enough, Bishop is looking to make the brothers miserable. 

Watching TMNT: Mutant Mayhem before the Paramount+ series IS recommended

That said, we do recommend you watch the movie before the series as it takes place after the events. The series will explain the story and re-introduce the characters, so if you don’t have time to watch the movie, it’s okay. However, for the best experience, watch the movie first! It’s also very easy to watch the movie as it is available on the same streaming platform. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is streaming on Paramount+. 

As for all other TMNT projects, you don't need to worry about them. All you need to watch is the Mutant Mayhem movie and you should be all set!

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles streams on Friday, Aug. 9. The first season will feature 12 episodes, all of which will be available to stream on premiere date.