Lionsgate has given their Power Rangers reboot film a release date, with the hopes of launching a new franchise. According to THR, the film will hit theaters in the packed summer of 2016, on July 22. That’s the same day as Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur film from Warner Brothers, a week after Bourne 5 and Ice Age 5, and a week before Planet of the Apes 3.
The project was first announced back in May, and gained X-Men: First Class writers Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz in July. At the same time, Star Trek writer/producer Roberto Orci jumped on board to oversee the project and promised fans that he “won’t ruin your franchise.”
The question now is whether or not the Power Rangers, the beloved characters from the ’90s TV series and rather dated global marketing franchise, can hold a modern blockbuster franchise of their own. The 1995 film Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie only grossed about $66 million at the global box office, which many contemporary tentpoles gross in their opening weekends. It’s 1997 sequel, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie fared even worse.
In order to ensure that the Power Rangers click with modern audiences, Lionsgate is looking to completely re-envision the characters. This version describes them as “a group of high school kids who are infused with unique superpowers but must harness and use those powers as a team if they have any hope of saving the world.”
Originally published August 14, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
