Entertainment One is bringing back Hasbro’s Power Rangers brand for film and television adaptations.
The company has tapped Jonathan Entwistle, creator of the Netflix series “I Am Not Okay With This” and “It’s the End of the F—ing World,” to shepherd the projects. eOne will develop and produce the projects with Entwistle set to direct across both formats.
“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 executives Nick Meyer and Michael Lombardo. “Across our slate, we are looking forward to working with the most talented storytellers as we take on Hasbro’s rich fan-favourite brands and build entertainment universes around them.”
The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a group of high school kids given extraterrestrial powers who unite to save the world, became a hit in 1993 as a Fox Kids TV series and inspired a big-screen adaptation, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie,” in 1995. Lionsgate and Saban delivered a new “Power Rangers” movie in 2017 with $142 million in worldwide grosses.
In 2018, Hasbro acquired the Power Rangers franchise from Saban Brands, releasing their first products in early 2019. In addition to the new non-kid projects under Entwistle, the Power Rangers-inspired kid series “Dino Fury” is currently in its second season. Hasbro’s film properties include “Dungeons and Dragons,” as well as the Transformers and G.I Joe film franchises.
“This is an unbelievable opportunity to deliver new Power Rangers to both new and existing generations of awaiting and adoring fans. We’ll bring the spirit of analog into the future, harnessing the action and storytelling that made this brand a success. I’m looking forward to working with the teams at eOne and Hasbro. Together, we can’t wait to share more Power Rangers with the world very soon,” said Entwistle.
Entwistle is represented by CAA, 42, Grandview and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.