With every other nostalgia-fuelled brand haunting our cinemas, or planning to, it somehow makes sense that the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers would follow suit. Except they’ve been responsible for films and new TV series every for years for ages now, so we thought we might be safe for a while, right? Wrongo! Lionsgate and creator Haim Saban have announced yet another live-action offering.
The story, such as it is, follows a group of ordinary – at least by the standards of the show – teenagers, who when danger strikes, “morph” into superheroes with specific powers. Whereupon, they battle a variety of slightly shonky-looking men in suits beasts and other villains. Launched in 1993, the show became the most-watched children’s TV programme and, it says here, remains one of the top-rated and longest running live-action TV series in history. Yes, be proud.
As for whether the plot will opt for a new origin tale or simply show the team on a typical mission, that’s anyone’s guess. The press release neglected to specify any creative people involved at this point, preferring to go heavy on the corporate synergy…
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Haim Saban and his team to maximize the potential of this immensely successful and universally recognized franchise,” says Lionsgate boss John Feltheimer. “The Power Rangers stories and characters have been embraced by generations of audiences for more than 20 years, and today they are more powerful than ever. We have the ideal partner and the perfect brand with which to create a motion picture event that will resonate with moviegoers around the world for years to come.”
Trivia note: Bryan Cranston provided voice-overs for a couple of episodes. Wonder if they can convince him to do the film? We don’t like those odds…