Power Rangers fans are disappointed with the latest update from the upcoming live-action show. Netflix has reportedly abandoned the project and Hasbro is looking for a new partner to take on the project. The series was in development for more than two years under Supernatural story editor Jenny Klein and The End Of The F***ing World co-creator Jonathan Entwistle.
However, fans have suggested another solution for the Hasbro property to emerge stronger than ever. Before Hasbro took over, Saban developed a film version of the 1993 show, Power Rangers, in 2017. The film was a commercial failure, but fans have grown to like it and want Hasbro to pursue a sequel.
Power Rangers Fans Want A Sequel For The 2017 Film After Netflix Abandons The Series
According to TVLine, Hasbro is on the lookout for new streaming partners after Netflix backed out of the Power Rangers live-action show. Netflix is yet to comment on its decision officially but the situation doesn’t look promising for the show. Fans, on the other hand, suggested one unlikely solution to the franchise’s current state.
In 2017, Dean Israelite adapted the pilot episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, titled Day of the Dumpster, to create the third installment in the Power Rangers film series. Franchise creator Haim Saban returned to serve as a producer in the film. The film featured Stranger Things fame Dacre Montgomery, Aladdin fame Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G, and Ludi Lin as the titular characters.
The film received mixed reviews, with criticisms directed at the film’s tone and the icky product placements. The box office numbers proved to be the final nail in the coffin as the film, made on a budget of $100-105 million, only managed a total gross of $142.5 million (via The Numbers). However, fans don’t seem to harbor the same feelings for the film in the current day.
Many fans wanted Hasbro to pursue a sequel for the 2017 film after the latest update on the live-action show. A number of fans commented that the film is heavily underrated. One fan shared that they watched it recently thinking it was going to be trash, but was pleasantly surprised. Another fan suggested that the cast had good chemistry and should be brought together for another film. The fan reactions read:
They should have just made the sequel from the recent movie, it wasn’t bad at all.
— Zero (@zerowontmiss) June 11, 2024
Is it too late to still get the sequel for the 2017 Power Ranger movie ‘cause that’s what I want
— I have so many questions? (@english_shamar) June 11, 2024
It's Time…. pic.twitter.com/m4GO1vGOOp
— Redwolves4thQTCOMEBACK?? (@Lennyfrigginleo) June 12, 2024
the last one is underrated, I watched it years later thinking it was gonna be trash and was pleasantly surprised with everything about it; it deserved a sequel
— Andrade (@detailsmove) June 11, 2024
The 2017 one was good. I wish it had gotten a sequel. The cast had such good chemistry.
— Munro Gates McLaren (@MunroMcLaren) June 12, 2024
Besides the young cast, the film also featured a talented, experienced cast including Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Banks, and Bill Hader. The film dealt with a group of teenagers with newfound superpowers as they fight to protect the Earth from an ancient reawakened threat.
The Planned Power Rangers TV Show Did Many Things Right Before Netflix Reportedly Abandoned It
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Fox Kids became a pop-culture phenomenon and amassed a large fanbase. The new show from Hasbro aimed to create the same impact among the kids of this generation as well as appeal to the old fans. In 2020, Jonathan Entwistle was hired to serve as a showrunner on the series.
Entwistle’s earlier projects with Netflix, I Am Not Okay With This and The End Of The F***ing World, made him the perfect person for this teen-based show. Interestingly, Entwistle was not just in charge of the series but was eyed as the architect for a Power Rangers Cinematic Universe (via Hasbro).
In 2022, Jenny Klein, the writer/producer of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Thing About Pam, also signed a deal with eOne, the former subsidiary of Hasbro. Besides developing content for other shows, the contract also tasked her with showrunning duties on Power Rangers.
Power Rangers (2017) is now available for streaming on MGM+ and Prime Video.
