A live-action Power Rangers is in the works at Disney, here's all you need to know
Disney is developing a live-action Power Rangers series, planning to put a new spin on the popular franchise. The Wrap reports the show is in development for Disney+ and 20th Century TV, with Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Dan Shotz and Jonathan E. Steinberg negotiating to write, show run, and produce the series.
Hasbro, which bought Power Rangers in 2018, will be producing the show, hoping to revamp the franchise for old fans and a new one. It is part of a larger game plan by Hasbro Entertainment to take its iconic brands to the next level using better storytelling and high-level partnerships.
The new show marks an important milestone for this series franchise, which is set to reimagine the original tale with a contemporary twist under veteran showrunners.
Showrunners and production crew
Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz are under negotiation to be at the helm of the live-action Power Rangers show. The Wrap quotes the duo, having previously worked on Percy Jackson and the Olympians, as bringing ample experience to the production.
Steinberg and Shotz also have previous work on the award-winning series The Old Man for FX. Their production company, Quaker Moving Pictures, has operated out of 20th Television/The Walt Disney Company since 2019. Hasbro Entertainment is making the series under its strategy to develop series on its most recognizable brands, along with the top talent and platforms.
The history and evolution of Power Rangers
The Power Rangers franchise originated in the 1990s with The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, inspired by the Japanese children’s show Super Sentai. According to The Wrap, the original series featured five teenagers who could transform into superheroes, each with their mech fighters.
The show gained immense popularity, leading to numerous iterations over the past 25 years. In 1995, there was a movie release with the original cast, and in 1997, a sequel was released with less of the original cast.
Lionsgate and Saban Film tried a reboot in 2017 as a dark, young adult reimagining, but it only made $142 million on a budget of approximately $100 million, and franchise plans were stalled. Hasbro purchased the series in 2018 to maximize the franchise's potential in all of its divisions.
Hasbro's wider entertainment strategy
The creation of this series is one aspect of Hasbro Entertainment's overall strategy to advance storytelling and create a series based on its most recognizable brands. Hasbro Entertainment has several ongoing projects, including a remake of Clue for film and television with Sony's TriStar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television, according to The Wrap.
A live-action Dungeons & Dragons television series, Forgotten Realms, is in production at Netflix, with Academy Award nominee Shawn Levy overseeing as executive producer. Terry Matalas is also a showrunner on an animated Magic: The Gathering series, which is now in production at Netflix.
Hasbro is also working on a live-action film and TV universe based on Magic: The Gathering produced with Legendary Entertainment, and game shows based on Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble, which debuted on The CW last fall.
Disney's live-action Power Rangers series, headed by veteran showrunners and supported by Hasbro, vows to revamp the iconic franchise for a fresh generation of fans.
