Turtle power: Paramount builds the next chapter for TMNT
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| Paramount |
Just three months into her new role at Paramount, Ruth Henriquez, Vice President, Products and Experiences, EMEA, is already looking forward to a significant period of growth for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Ahead of Brand Licensing Europe, she tells Toy World's Vicky Doe why putting consumers at the heart of the strategy, attracting new generations of fans and creating authentic partnerships will be key to the franchise's next chapter.
For Ruth Henriquez, joining Paramount has provided the opportunity to work with brands that she not only understands professionally, but grew up loving herself. She says the experience has been hugely positive, helped by both a welcoming team and an exciting portfolio of properties. "What I love is that the company is really looking at how we cater to the consumer, what is genuinely relevant for fans and how we support our partners," she explains. It is also about being more flexible and bringing more speed to market. Those things are very important to me."
Ruth brings experience from both the entertainment and FMCG sector. Central to her approach is putting the consumer at the heart of decision making and using that understanding to drive engagement, retail presence and new touchpoints.
"Ultimately, it should bring a win for the consumer, a win for us and a win for the partner," Ruth says. "EMEA is very diverse, with different cultures and different habits. There is a fine balance between working with pan-European partners and driving those relationships, while also ensuring our brands remain relevant locally and working with partners that can bring authenticity within individual markets."
Storytelling sits at the centre of this strategy. “Licensing is all about storytelling," she adds. “The team has already created amazing partnerships and told great stories, so I want to continue doing that while bringing a fresh perspective."
Few properties demonstrate the potential of that storytelling better than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. TMNT is set to be a major priority for Paramount over the coming years, with activity spanning content, gaming, publishing, experiences and consumer products.
At the centre is what Ruth describes as the 'World of TMNT', a unified brand visual identity designed to bring together the franchise's history across films, series, games, comics, products and experiences.
"It celebrates each version of the Turtles," she explains. "Your version might be different from my version, but that is how people feel connected to the property. It is genuinely multi-generational."
Ruth herself remembers watching the Turtles growing up and playing alongside her brother, a particularly enthusiastic Raphael fan. That personal experience gives her an understanding of the nostalgia surrounding TMNT, but she stresses that nostalgia represents only part of its strength.
"There is so much brand love, but this is not just a nostalgia play," she says. "This is a franchise that is alive and active. We are creating new content and connecting with pre-schoolers, so there is a fresh approach to engaging the next generation while still being truthful to the characters and what fans have always loved about them."
That includes Teeny Mutant Ninja Turtles, which introduces the characters to younger audiences through YouTube-first content, providing an entry point for pre- school fans. At the other end of the audience spectrum, publishing, gaming and future screen content continue to engage existing fans.
The momentum will build significantly during 2027, which includes the next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie and the 40th anniversary of the 1987 animated series. Further ahead, Paramount is also planning a live-action/CG hybrid movie for 2028.
Consumer products will play an important role throughout this activity. Paramount is looking at opportunities across toys, fashion, accessories and other categories, as well as ways to expand the number of occasions on which consumers can interact with TMNT.
"We are already having conversations with retailers, and they are excited," Ruth tells Toy World. "The lengthy development cycles involved in licensing mean Paramount is already looking considerably further ahead. Conversations with some FMCG partners are already focused on the end of 2028 and beginning of 2029.
"That is why we are always looking at the franchise three years from now," Ruth explains. "2027 is really just the kick- off of all the amazing things that are going to happen with Turtles over the next three years. We are already talking to partners about 2028 and how we drive into 2029."
Brand Licensing Europe will therefore provide an important opportunity to bring these conversations together. Ruth sees BLE's ability to unite retailers, licensees, manufacturers and agents in one place as particularly valuable.
"You can come out of a conversation with one partner, speak to a retailer and then connect the dots," she says. "Some partners are planning for 2029 while others are talking about activations for next year, so you can have very different conversations at the same event."
TMNT will be a major focus at BLE, although Paramount will also showcase opportunities across its wider portfolio, including SpongeBob SquarePants and upcoming content. TMNT's history already includes a broad variety of partnerships, from apparel and collectibles to Puma x LaMelo Ball footwear, Lush and QSR collaborations with the likes of McDonald's and Burger King. Ruth believes their success comes from finding ideas that feel authentic to the property rather than simply placing the characters onto products.
"The characters give you so much to pull from," she says. "They are funny, but there is also brotherhood and an emotional connection. There is music and action, so there are lots of different elements that partners can explore. Each partnership can look completely different, while you can still identify the authenticity of Turtles."
That flexibility, coupled with four decades of affection for Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo, gives Paramount plenty to build upon.
"There is always something you connect with," Ruth concludes. "That emotional connection is there, but at the same time we are building new fans for the future. It is a joy to work with a property like this, and I cannot wait to see everything come to life."
Originally published in the October 2026 issue of Toy World.
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