I’ll never forget covering this storyback in May of 2016. During a conference call with analysts, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer revealed that the studio might make as many as seven morePower Rangersmovies. As a massivePower Rangersfan, it was impossible not to get a little excited about the prospect of having a long-running film franchise, but we hadn’t even seen the first film yet! Even if there are internal hopes to make many more movies, might it be a better approach to keep those ambitions quiet until the first film comes out and justifies the costs of moving forward with sequels?
Ultimately,Dean Israelite’s2017Power Rangersmovie underperformed in theaters. Personally? I adored the film but hitting theaters the week afterBeauty and the Beastrocked the box office with a $174 million opening is a tough position to be in.Power Rangersbegan its own run with a decent $40 million, but failed to have the necessary staying power to make the big bucks. It closed out its worldwide theatrical run with $142 million, a disappointing number considering the film’s $100 million production tab.
At this point, the industry’s moved on. Entertainment One (eOne), Hasbro’s entertainment studio, announced a reboot withJonathan Entwistlespearheading plans for multiple new movies and show adaptations. But still, as someone who truly does love that 2017 film, curiosity remains about the situation behind-the-scenes. Was the seven-film goal a dream scenario expressed on an analyst call or were the folks involved truly making moves to make those additional installments happen?
During a recent episode ofCollider Ladies Night, I got the opportunity to askNaomi Scottwhat the situation was like from her perspective. Turns out, she didn’t even know about that hope to make “five or six or seven” morePower Rangersfilms. Scott explained:
As for the movie we did wind up getting, Scott stressed the positive experience she had making the film and some “dear, dear friends” in the process. As a big believer that directorDean Israelitedeserved more credit than he got forPower Rangers- and his feature directorial debut,Project Almanac, as well - it was a thrill to hear that Scott felt the same way:
“I completely agree that Dean Israelite had such a vision. Especially the parts of the movie that were us as kids and the way he shot it, I just thought it was really cool. And I do think he definitely deserved more recognition for that because I think he’s so great.”
Unfortunately in this industry, sometimes a great vision, positive filming experience and rock solid finished product don’t always guarantee that something becomes a box office hit. Scott recalled what it was like watching the movie open up a week afterBeauty and the Beast:
“Beauty and the Beast just killed, of course, you know? And do you know what though? I think we did well. We did well in that first week and it kind of just didn’t have the go power in that sense.”
Yes, I’m still bummed we won’t get to see Scott continue Kimberly’s story in this iteration of thePower Rangersfilm franchise, but it is quite exciting to see her ride that same Disney live-action wave via 2019’sAladdin. WithPower Rangersnow firmly in the rearview mirror, I had to ask Scott if she could share any abandoned plans for the character. Here’s what she said:
“You’d be surprised. People don’t think this far ahead. [Laughs] They’re like, ‘We need to ensure this one works before we think about …’ Yeah, they don’t. They really don’t. They wait and see and see how something does. I’m trying to think. I’m sure there were ideas that were milling about that I overheard people talking about, but I honestly can’t remember. I just remember fans being like, ‘Trini and Kimberly!’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds great. Let’s do that!’”
So there you have it! That’s what the road to the bigPower Rangerspremiere and the aftermath of its release was like from Scott’s perspective. While there will likely always be a little disappointment we didn’t get another installment with this particular ensemble, it’s almost like we’re getting the best of both worlds now. Scott’s star is soaring and we’re getting morePower Rangersvia Entwistle. (And if you need more convincing on his ability, I highly recommendThe End of the F***ing WorldandI Am Not Okay with This.)
If you’d like to hear more from Scott on her experience working onAladdin,Terra Novaand her latest project, the audio/podcast seriesSoft Voice, you’re able to catch our full Collider Ladies Night conversation below:
