Disney has made the decision not to move forward on the live-action Power Rangers series that was being developed at Disney+, Deadline has learned. The news comes on the heels of Disney’s D23 Expo, which starts this Friday.
Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz, who are the creative forces behind Disney+’s hit series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, were writing, producing, and showrunning the series. Typically, series not moving forward like this is due to creative differences but according to the trade, that was not the case. It’s said that the move was business-related, which in Disney terms means the cost it was going to take to make the series was just too far outside their budget.
It is unknown if the likes of Netflix or Amazon will take a shot at the series or possibly revisit the idea of bringing the Power Rangers back to the big screen. At one point, Paramount Pictures partnered with Hasbro to develop Power Rangers content; it is unknown if that is the case at this time.
The first Power Rangers entry, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, debuted on August 28, 1993, and helped launch the Fox Kids programming block of the 1990s, during which it catapulted into popular culture. The franchise would spawn multiple iterations of the show, as well as two movies in the 90’s.
In 2017, Lionsgate attempted a complete reboot with a big-screen adaptation. Despite a large cult following, the film underperformed at the box office, grossing $142.3 million on a $100 million budget. A sequel was teased, featuring Tommy’s Green Ranger helmet, but it would never come to fruition.
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