Lionsgate On POWER RANGERS January Release - "Great Movies Deliver Whatever Date"
"We really believe that great movies deliver whatever date they’re on." Can Power Rangers buck the general public perception that January is a movie studio dumping ground?
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer explained the rationale behind moving the live-action Power Rangers film from July 22, 2016 to Jan. 13, 2017 as a chance for opportunity, not a sign that the film is going to be terrible. "We’re very excited and with Dean’s [Israelite] vision; we felt very comfortable looking for opportunistic dating. We really believe that great movies deliver whatever date they’re on." Feltheimer went on to add that Lionsgate views Power Rangers as a franchise that can launch "multiple films". "We’re picking whatever date we can win."
Dean Israelite's Project Almanac grossed $32.2M worldwide from a $12M USD production budget so he's proven he can turn a profit for a studio. But a live-action Power Rangers movie will cost a significantly more money to produce and will need to earn a lot more money. Essentially, Lionsgate is banking on brand awareness to a certain extent, to mitigate the pressure to produce an exceptional product but just how popular are the Power Rangers these days? Unless the film is something radical, like the violent, adult-oriented Power/Rangers from Joseph Kahn, the Power Rangers film may be facing an uphill battle that's too steep to hurdle.
Power Rangers concept art by Jim Zapata
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