Power Rangers 2017 film intended to create multiple movie sequels marking a surprising failure for this cinematic vision which had many promising elements. The first attempt to convert Power Rangers from a very popular TV series to box office success occurred in 1995 with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie which was ultimately a moderate success during the movie's time in theaters before growing into cult following among VHS and TV fans.
Theatrical History of the Power Rangers Franchise and the Sole Canon Movie From the Past
A follow up 1997 movie titled Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie became a low-budget effort working as “episode 0” for Power Rangers Turbo creating the one official canon film in the show’s vast history. Another film did not emerge for two decades with the 2017 Power Rangers reboot which promised a much more mature story with darker elements based upon the original Mighty Morphin story line. With many skilled young actors and an array of fresh ideas Power Rangers 2017 had potential to reimagine the entire Zordon era within a series of movies however these projects never even materialized due to low audience numbers in box office totals.
The Ambitious Plans for the 2017 Power Rangers Reboot and Its Subsequent Failure
In 2017 before the release of Power Rangers Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer expressed confidence during a conference call indicating plans to have around “five or six or seven” additional films based on this franchise. While specific story details for these Power Rangers sequels remained undeveloped the movie studio did believe strongly in this IP visualizing the 2017 project as start for the film based properties and a possible Cinematic Universe which is increasingly popular in today’s cinematic market. The low box office performance completely removed the future of a franchise starting from the Mighty Morphin stories in theaters.
Financial Struggles Halted a Seven Movie Expansion Despite Positive Story Arcs in the Reboot
Power Rangers movie had a large budget costing 100 million dollars yet only earned 142 million dollars globally which failed to achieve a benchmark 2.5 multiple of the film's production budget that is considered break-even territory for large films. Power Rangers brand later sold to Hasbro approximately one year later completely killing any further projects relating back to the 2017 title . A Power Rangers sequel to the 2017 movie was made completely unviable at this point effectively closing the book on further expansion.
Lost Opportunities and a Comparison with Boom Comics' Successful Revitalizing of the Original Show
The box office failings is more disappointing because a strong cinematic universe based off of the TV series had numerous plot point that could have been used to further expand that particular universe. Over its 30 years Power Rangers TV shows included countless stories heroes and villains plus unique locations many which were unused at this period in history and in its different versions with some running longer than others.. Power Rangers cinematic version based only on Mighty Morphin would have also made a great movie franchise. Boom Studios comics have done a great job revitalizing Power Rangers while still keeping main themes from the original shows adding credibility to this notion by way of their modernized iterations.
The Unique Character Arcs and Lore Additions Created Potential Sequel Material in Power Rangers 2017
Power Rangers film in 2017 presented a mature narrative allowing in depth character development while showcasing various points from TV show’s canon. The creative choices of turning Zordon and Rita into former Power Rangers and creating connections for Zeo Crystals to Earth are some examples that could have all lead to very different possible movie iterations. The Green Ranger's planned arrival plus the arrival of Lord Zedd in film's future were some potential story lines for future series along with other eras of different Power Rangers teams for this new cinematic property. Power Rangers (2017) explores new origin stories of characters from series lore that could be expanded in many additional films.
Imagining a Seven Movie Arc Using Mighty Morphin Characters Along with Different Eras
While that ambitious seven-film Power Rangers saga failed its possible directions created significant fan based excitement about it. Power Rangers movies may have expanded the Mighty Morphin narrative over seven full length movies using a model similar to that of the comics or the projects could have gone into the Zeo or Turbo era. Had they stuck with the Mighty Morphin era then many iconic arcs could have been revisited with new fresh approaches especially arcs like “Green With Evil” and “The Mutiny” showcasing very familiar stories in new settings. Power Rangers the TV show never fully explored Mighty Morphin mystery but could use those ideas to develop new arcs within the universe.
Untapped Story Lines : The Green Ranger and Tommy Oliver and What Might Come Next
A second Power Rangers film most certainly have introduced Green Ranger Tommy Oliver following the post credits sequence in the 2017 Power Ranger's film showing hints of his arrival which was met with extreme enthusiasm for many Power Ranger fans at the time. Tommy Oliver’s growth from the villain into the group’s main leader could have explored his history across many movie stories. Even another attempt at Mighty Morphin stories will hopefully lead to a big screen return someday in the future as many different elements of show are still unexplored in many different mediums and story telling arcs.
The 2017 Power Rangers movie aimed to protect Angel Grove and the Earth from an impending alien threat while showing personal challenges. Five teenagers discover newfound abilities transforming into Power Rangers, leading a fight to protect world. Many opportunities were lost when Power Rangers (2017) failed to engage audiences in ways that would result in a more long lasting universe.