Hasbro's Entertainment One has enlisted Jonathan Entwistle to spearhead new screen adaptations of Power Rangers. The I Am Not Okay with This co-creator will now oversee and direct Power Rangers projects for both film and television.
Hasbro began taking a more active role in the development and production of projects based on its brands after acquiring eOne in 2019. Consequently, the Power Rangers feature film being developed by Entwistle at Paramount has moved to eOne, though Entwistle's role with the superhero franchise has now been expanded.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Entwistle will act as "a conductor of a connected story universe that will bridge across multiple platforms." eOne also intends to recruit name talent to collaborate with Entwistle as he maps out the new Power Rangers universe. "Jonathan has an incredible creative vision for this iconic and hugely successful franchise, and is hands down the right architect to join us as we reimagine the television and film worlds of this property," said eOne film president Nick Meyer and global television president Michael Lombardo in a joint statement. "Across our slate, we are looking forward to working with the most talented storytellers as we take on Hasbro's rich fan-favorite brands and build entertainment universes around them."
The franchise launched in 1993 as a television series titled The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which centered on a group of kids who don color-coded armor to protect their home city of Angel Grove. The show spawned spin-offs, feature films, and a successful line of merchandise that has kept the franchise alive for multiple generations. Lionsgate previously attempted to reboot the Power Rangers franchise with a new film in 2017. This incarnation offered a relatively darker take on the story and featured Elizabeth Banks as the classic foe Rita Repulsa, Bill Hader as Alpha 5, and Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston as the team's mentor, Zordon. However, plans to continue the rebooted franchise were scrapped when Power Rangers grossed an underwhelming $142 million worldwide against a $100 million budget.
Entwistle's original plan for the Power Rangers film under Paramount involved the team traveling back in time to the '90s. While the reboot reportedly intended to recapture the spirit of the original series, it remains unclear if any elements from Entwistle's story will carry over into eOne's Power Rangers universe.
Power Rangers (2017) is now available on Netflix.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter