Ask anybody over the age of 25 what one of their fondest childhood memories was, and I can guarantee that 95% of them would say “Power Rangers.” Mighty Morphin Power Rangers debuted on American TV in 1993 and caught like wildfire in grade schools all over the country. Before long, the Power Rangers overtook the incumbent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ popularity, with kids all over choosing their favorite dinosaurs to represent themselves. To say the least, the MMPR era of Power Rangers represented one of my first real obsessions. It’s been over 20 years since Kimberly became every boy’s first crush, yet the Power Rangers still have a dedicated and loyal fan base despite the franchise’s dwindling appeal and ever apparent lacking quality. With the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set for their big screen return this August, it was only a matter of time before our favorite spandex-wearing teenagers with attitudes came back, too, right?
Lionsgate and Saban Brands seem to agree, as they announced today that the two studios are teaming together to bring the Power Rangers back to theaters with a film franchise rebooting the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The press release reads in part:
The new film franchise will re-envision the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a group of high school kids who are infused with unique and cool super powers but must harness and use those powers as a team if they have any hope of saving the world.
The film is obviously in its infantile stages, but I can guarantee any movement on the project will be met with both excitement and hesitance. Considering Lionsgate has found success in adapting other properties (namely The Hunger Games and Divergent), the property is in good hands. The material is sound and just ripe for a proper film adaptation, and considering Lionsgate’s proper treatment of the aforementioned properties, this planned Mighty Morphin Power Rangers film reboot is just what might bring the Power Rangers back into the forefront of pop culture once again.