Hasbro’s Entertainment One has enlisted Jonathan Entwistle to spearhead new screen adaptations ofPower Rangers. TheI Am Not Okay with Thisco-creator will now oversee and directPower Rangersprojects for both film and television.
Hasbro began taking a more active role in the development and production ofprojects based on its brandsafter acquiring eOne in 2019. Consequently, thePower Rangersfeature film being developed by Entwistle at Paramount has moved to eOne, though Entwistle’s role with the superhero franchise has now been expanded.
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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 newPower Rangersuniverse. “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 andglobal television president Michael Lombardoin 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 titledThe 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 showspawned spin-offs, feature films, and a successful line of merchandise that has kept the franchise alive for multiple generations. Lionsgate previously attempted to reboot thePower Rangersfranchise 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, andBreaking Badstar Bryan Cranstonas the team’s mentor, Zordon. However, plans to continue the rebooted franchise were scrapped whenPower Rangersgrossed an underwhelming $142 million worldwide against a $100 million budget.
Entwistle’s original plan for thePower Rangersfilm under Paramount involvedthe 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’sPower Rangersuniverse.
