A new Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. It followed a group of teenagers who become a superpowered team working to protect the earth from alien threats. Over the years, the Power Rangers brand has grown across film, television, and various toy lines.
In 2017, Paramount sought to revive the property on the big screen with a Power Rangers movie aimed at a newer generation, but it failed to elicit much excitement. As a result, there have been reports of Power Rangers getting another reboot. This latest Power Rangers film will reportedly be set in the 1990s and will be directed by Jonathan Entwistle (Netflix's I Am Not Okay With This).
Per THR, Entwistle's role has been expanded, as the Power Rangers brand is looking to develop its own cinematic universe. Entwistle has been put in charge of this new universe, which will span both film and television through a connected story. His first Power Rangers film has moved from Paramount to production company eOne, which was acquired by Hasbro in late 2019. eOne’s film president Nick Meyer and global television president Michael Lombardo both said this in a statement:
Jonathan has an incredible creative vision for this iconic and hugely successful franchise, and is hands down the right architect to us as we reimagine the television and film worlds of this property. Across our slate, we are looking forward to working with the most talented storytellers as we take on Hasbro’s rich fan-favourite brands and build entertainment universes around them.
Meanwhile, Entwistle added this:
This is an unbelievable opportunity to deliver new Power Rangers to both new and existing generations of awaiting and adoring fans. We’ll bring the spirit of anato the future, harnessing the action and storytelling that made this brand a success.
This news comes as Power Rangers: Dino Fury, the 28th season in the main Power Rangers series, gears up for a 2021 premiere. Whether that will now tie into this new shared universe remains to be seen, but fans shouldn't be surprised if it does. The report didn't provide a timeline for the Power Rangers cinematic universe; however, the announcement itself indicates progress is being made behind the scenes. The first film in this revamped property could be ready to arrive in the coming years.
Considering the lukewarm response to 2017's Power Rangers, a reboot seemed inevitable. This update takes things a step further by turning it into a multi-platform shared universe, but even that isn't too surprising. After all, shared universes are the new hot commodity within Hollywood, thanks to the mega-success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Those who have tried to imitate the MCU have shown it isn't quite as easy as Marvel makes it seem, so it remains to be seen how successful the Power Rangers 'verse will be. Only time will tell, but fans are likely very excited to hear what comes next for the iconic characters.
Source: THR
