Even though we haven’t seen the Power Rangers suited up yet in the trailers for the big screen reboot of Saban’s teenage heroes, Bryan Cranston has and is impressed. He has actually seen a good portion of the film, telling The A.V. Club:
“This movie is actually gonna be a big deal. I’ve seen a lot of it, because I’m doing ADR on it. And it’s impressive. Dean Israelite really has a nice touch. As big and as powerful as Power Rangers could be, he has a nice touch to keep it grounded, and real. I think it’s gonna turn some heads, I really do.”
In a separate interview with IGN, Cranston discussed his hesitation over taking the role of Zordon, stating:
“I thought, ‘Power Rangers? It’s kind of the [1960s] Batman television show – Pow! Zing! Whap!’ And I had a phone call with the director and he said, ‘Think of it this way… Like Batman came from TV and became a completely different animal in the movies, so too is it here. We’re going to take this and revamp it and it’s going to be grounded and real.’ And I thought ‘Okay, with that, let me read it. “I read it and went ‘You’re right… The kids sound like real kids and not everyone is this great athlete and everything is working out. I thought, ‘This might be a nice bookend to what I was doing before,’ since I started out doing voices.”
Speaking specifically on the role of Zordon, Cranston said of his relationship with the Power Rangers:
“He is a frustrated mentor of these kids. They’re not advancing as I’d hoped. Some of them are not taking this seriously, the responsibility that has been placed upon them or that they have been chosen for. And yet, you’re a mentor. It’s almost like being a coach. You want to break down the individuality of them so that they can grow as a team.”
Saban’s POWER RANGERS follows five ordinary teens who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove — and the world — is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.
Power Rangers is set for release on March 24th 2017 and will star Becky G as the Yellow Ranger, Ludi Lin as the Black Ranger, Naomi Scott as the Pink Ranger, Dacre Montgomery as the Red Ranger, R.J. Cyler as the Blue Ranger, Bryan Cranston as Zordon, Bill Hader as Alpha 5 and Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa.
Originally published January 16, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
