1995 Power Rangers movie has since become a classic thanks to TV reruns and VHS, it didn’t do exceptionally well when it came out. Two years later, Power Rangers got a second film, this time on a much smaller budget and with a more limited release.
Interestingly, 1997’s Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie is the only canon film in the franchise and works as “episode 0” of Power Rangers Turbo. It took 20 years for Power Rangers to get another movie, with Power Rangers (2017) promising a darker, more mature take on the world of Mighty Morphin. With a great cast of up-and-coming actors and a lot of fresh ideas, Power Rangers (2017) had the potential to kickstart a franchise that could have reimagined the Zordon Era into a series of movies. Sadly, this Power Rangers cinematic universe never came to be.
Power Rangers (2017) Was Supposed To Be The Start Of A New Franchise
Lionsgate Had Hopes For “Five, Or Six, Or Seven” Power Rangers Movies
In a conference call ahead of the movie’s release in 2017, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said the studio was “really, really excited” about Power Rangers, and that they could end up doing “five, or six, or seven” (via Variety). While not much was ever discussed about what the Power Rangers sequels were going to look like, the studio clearly believed in the IP’s potential and saw the 2017 reboot as the start of a franchise. Unfortunately, Power Rangers bombed at the box office, and this new movie series based on Mighty Morphin was dead before it even started.
Power Rangers' future after Cosmic Fury remains unclear, with a new TV show or movie yet to be announced.
Made on a $100 million budget, Power Rangers only grossed $142 million at the worldwide box office. Considering that movies usually need to gross 2.5 times their production budget to break even, it’s unclear whether the 2017 Power Rangers reboot even turned a profit. The Power Rangers brand was sold to Hasbro around a year later, and if a new Power Rangers film ever happens, it won’t be a sequel to the 2017 reboot. Power Rangers’ box office failure killed any chances of starting a multi-movie franchise.
Power Rangers’ 7-Movie Plan Would Have Made For A Great Cinematic Universe
Power Rangers’ Lore Is Rich Enough To Sustain Multiple Sequels
Power Rangers flopping at the box office is even more disappointing considering how great a cinematic universe based on those characters would have been. While the Power Rangers TV show was primarily aimed at children, the franchise established an impressive lore over 30 years consisting of countless heroes, villains, locations, and more. Power Rangers could have made for a very fun movie franchise even if it were to be based on Mighty Morphin only. BOOM! Studios’ comics are a great example of it, having modernized Power Rangers while keeping the essence of the TV show.
Season |
Release Year |
|---|---|
Mighty Morphin |
1993 |
Zeo |
1996 |
Turbo |
1997 |
In Space |
1998 |
Lost Galaxy |
1999 |
Lightspeed Rescue |
2000 |
Time Force |
2001 |
Wild Force |
2002 |
Ninja Storm |
2003 |
Dino Thunder |
2004 |
S.P.D. |
2005 |
Mystic Force |
2006 |
Operation Overdrive |
2007 |
Jungle Fury |
2008 |
R.P.M. |
2009 |
Samurai/Super Samurai |
2011 |
Megaforce/Super Megaforce |
2013 |
Dino Charge/Super Dino Charge |
2015 |
Ninja Steel/ Super Ninja Steel |
2017 |
Beast Morphers |
2019 |
Dino Fury |
2021 |
Cosmic Fury |
2023 |
The 2017 film was a much more mature Power Rangers story and found time to develop each character while also playing with the TV show’s lore. From Zordon and Rita being former Power Rangers to the Zeo Crystals being associated with life on Earth, Power Rangers (2017) had a lot of interesting ideas that could have been explored in sequels. The Green Ranger’s introduction and the arrival of Lord Zedd are just some examples of stories that could have been tackled in sequels, not to mention all the other Power Rangers teams from around that same era.
What Power Rangers’ Sequels Would Have Looked Like Based On The Show
Power Rangers 2 Would’ve Likely Be Based On “Green With Evil”
While this seven-movie Power Rangers saga never happened, it’s fun to imagine what it would have looked like. Power Rangers’ planned sequels could have either stretched the Mighty Morphin story into seven movies – similarly to what the comics have done – or moved into other eras of the show such as Zeo and Turbo. Assuming they would have wanted to stay with Mighty Morphin as long as possible, the sequels would’ve likely reinvented arcs such as “Green With Evil” and “The Mutiny” while also telling new stories within that sandbox.
Power Rangers’ Greatest Mystery Has Remained Unsolved For 26 Years And Might Never Be Answered
The most important Power Rangers battle happened 26 years ago, yet the show never explained the Mighty Morphin team mystery that came with it.
Power Rangers 2 would have most certainly featured the Green Ranger, especially because the 2017 film’s post-credits scene teased the arrival of Tommy Oliver. It would have been nice to see Tommy Oliver's full story told across multiple movies, with the character going from an evil Ranger to the leader of the Power Rangers. Hopefully, Power Rangers will someday return to the big screen, even with yet another reimagination of Mighty Morphin.
Source: Variety
Power Rangers
- Release Date
- March 24, 2017
- Runtime
- 124 minutes
- Director
- Dean Israelite
Cast
Elizabeth BanksJason Lee Scott / The Red Ranger
Billy Cranston / The Blue Ranger
WHERE TO WATCH
Power Rangers (2017) follows five teenagers who are chosen to become the Power Rangers, tasked with protecting their town of Angel Grove and the world from an impending alien threat. As they grapple with personal challenges, they must unite to harness their newfound abilities to avert imminent destruction.
- Writers
- John Gatins, Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Michele Mulroney, Kieran Mulroney, Haim Saban
- Franchise(s)
- Power Rangers
- Main Genre
- Action
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