If Power Rangers producer Haim Saban has his way, then the new Power Rangers reboot movie will be the first of a major rebooted franchise.
“We already have a six-movie story arc,” Saban says in an interview with Variety.
Fans who are hoping for major movie spectacle are going to get it, Saban adds. The effects are also intended to draw a new young generation of fans who are accustomed to fantastic visual effects.
“Think about movies like Jungle Book and Arrival. The effects are mind-boggling. So does the young audience expect more? You bet they do — and they will have it,” says Saban.
Screenwriter John Gatins adds, “There’s been a lot of response on social media from people in their late 20s, since we announced the film,” Gatins says. “This is a part of their nostalgia. And, hopefully, today’s kids, who haven’t seen the Power Rangers before, will look at the ads and go, ‘Wow, that looks really cool.’”
He pointed out how important the visual effects are to making the Power Rangers movie appealing to both old and new fans also. “Making the effects state-of-the-art, that will be a big draw for the super-fans. They understand that there was a funny, kitsch quality about the old TV show. We had big aspirations of making a movie that was visually exciting.””
Some movies might survive on spectacle alone, but Saban is hoping that his modern take on the Power Rangers themselves will speak to new audiences and gratify old ones. “The effects are only part of the movie,” he says. “We also are developing likable characters. They don’t take themselves too seriously, in terms of how they relate. I wanted the movie to say that losers or weirdos, by coming together, can realize the importance of the responsibility on their shoulders.”
Director Dean Israelite points to the desire of adults who grew up with Power Rangers to share that magic with their children. “People who are 27-to-33, who grew up on the show, have a real fondness for it,” Israelite says. “They have a nostalgic feeling for it and, if they’re parents, they want to share that with their kids.”
According to Saban, “If this film is as successful as I hope on March 24, on March 25 we’ll have the first story meeting for Movie No. 2.”
Early reviews indicate that the movie’s cast of unknowns was praised, but the film lacks a solid identity. Is this a problem it will take five more Power Rangers movies to solve? Are you looking forward to the film and possible follow-ups? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.
