Summary
- A new live-action Power Rangers show is reportedly in production at Disney+.
- Hasbro is producing the show, and Jonathan E. Steinberh and Dan Shotz of Percy Jackson and the Olympians are in negotiations to be the showrunners of Power Rangers.
- Hasbro continues to expand its efforts to create new content from its library of intellectual property.
A new live-action Power Rangers show is in production at Disney+, according to a new report from The Wrap. Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz are reportedly in negotiations to produce the show for Disney+.
The series is being produced by Hasbro, which acquired the intellectual property rights for Power Rangers in 2018. Power Rangers is another example of Hasbro’s push to create new content from its extensive library of intellectual property. For example, The Forgotten Realms, a Dungeons & Dragons live-action television series, is reportedly in production at Netflix. Magic: The Gathering is also set to receive adaptations, including an animated series for Netflix and a live-action cinematic universe in collaboration with Legendary Entertainment.
It’s Morphin’ Time
Power Rangers began in 1993 as Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, an adaptation of a Japanese show named Super Sentai. From there, the franchise exploded in popularity and was quickly adapted into television series, movies, toy lines and, of course, video games. The basic premise is that a group of teenagers are recruited to fight evil by a mentor, gaining the ability to “morph” into power rangers and pilot large mechs. There are recurring themes throughout each series, such as the red ranger being the team leader and so on.
Disney is actually a former owner of Power Rangers, acquiring the franchise from Fox in 2001. Disney would eventually sell the franchise back to its original owner, Haim Saban, who would go on to sell it to Hasbro in 2018.
It’s safe to say that the franchise has lulled significantly in popularity since its ’90s heyday, but there is every possibility that lapsed fans could be tempted back by a high-budget revival. Hasbro and Disney+ will also be looking to capture a new generation of children with the reboot.
As the show is still in pre-production, it will likely be a while before we learn anything substantial about the reboot.
