Why the 2017 Power Rangers reboot failed to launch a cinematic universe

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 2017 Power Rangers film aimed to ground the classic franchise in a gritty, contemporary reality. Despite a $142.5 million global box office performance, the film fell short of its ambitious sequel plans. Discover how this origin story attempted to reinvent a cult classic and why the project ultimately stalled.

Directed by Dean Israelite, the 2017 reboot sought to modernize the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers legacy by focusing on character-driven naturalism. The script, which underwent multiple iterations including a rejected draft by Max Landis, aimed for a tone that felt both fun and grounded in a real-world setting. The production team emphasized diversity in casting, selecting actors like Dacre Montgomery and Naomi Scott to portray the five teenagers who discover extraterrestrial coins in an old mine, granting them superhuman abilities.

The film’s narrative structure mirrors the original pilot, "Day of the Dumpster," while expanding on the lore of the Zeo Crystal and the Morphing Grid. Bryan Cranston provided the voice and motion-capture performance for Zordon, the ancient mentor whose consciousness resides within the Grid. Elizabeth Banks portrayed the antagonist Rita Repulsa, a former Green Ranger turned rogue. Despite the film's efforts to appeal to a more mature audience with alien-inspired suits and high-budget visual effects, it struggled to find a consistent critical footing.

Commercially, the film underperformed against its $100–105 million budget, leading to the cancellation of planned sequels. This failure prompted Haim Saban to sell the franchise rights to Hasbro. Subsequent attempts to revive the property, including a partnership with Netflix, faced repeated setbacks. By 2026, plans for a television series reboot were also scrapped, marking a turbulent decade for the brand's cinematic aspirations. The film remains a singular, divisive entry that serves as a case study in the difficulty of translating nostalgic television properties into modern blockbuster film series.

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