POWER RANGERS Director Dean Israelite Says Movie Will Be "Mature But Still Playful"
When compared to the other superhero films, the Power Rangers reboot is a relative unknown. In a recent interview, director Dean Israelite spoke at length about what to expect from the upcoming film!
Following its debut in 1993, Saban's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers quickly became a global phenomenon and after 22 years and numerous cast changes, the Rangers are still kicking - recently launching the twenty-second season of the long-running franchise. The original series starred Austin St. John, Thuy Trang, Walter Jones, Amy Jo Johnson, and David Yost as the five teenagers with attitudes that were chosen by Zordon and Alpha 5 to defend the Earth as the Power Rangers.
Director Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) recently sat down with IGN to share a progress update on Lionsgate's upcoming Power Rangers reboot and while he obviously doesn't reveal anything about the film's plot or how it potentially ties into the original 1993 series, he does seem genuinely excited about getting started on the upcoming project. He describes an early draft of the script as "mature but still playful" and says the series is being updated in a very interesting way, teasing a new character as well. Read his full comment below:
Dean Israelite: I read the script and was really surprised by it and thought there was a really cool, contemporary, mature but still playful, buoyant and fun take on the material, and was updated in a really interesting way. It had this wonderful character that's essential to going on a fantastic adventure. I was instantly drawn to it. I remember it as a kid. I grew up with it in South Africa. When I opened the script I had no idea how it was going to be updated, and I was really impressed by it. So I put a really big presentation together, because I needed to win the job. There were a lot of guys going out for it and saw the potential in it, so I put a really big presentation together and was lucky enough to get the job. We're in sort of a soft pre-production right now, doing a lot of design work and reimagining the world. It's really cool and exciting.
Even though many fans were clamoring for a bigger name director when the project was initially announced, Lionsgate may have found the right guy for the job, especially considering how passionate he seems about the project. As the interview got a little more specifc, Israelite unsurprisingly became a little less forthcoming. When asked about how the film pays respect to and/or potentially ties into the original MMPR continuity, he pleaded the fifth. When asked about the film's expected tone, he likened it to his last directorial venture, Project Almanac:
Israelite: It needs to be completely playful, and it needs to be really fun and funny. But like Project Almanac, I hope it's going to feel very grounded at the same time, and very contemporary and have a real edge to it, and a real gut to it. So I think it's going to be a fun, joyful [movie] but one that feels completely grounded in a real world, with real characters going through real things.
Sounds like they're shooting for something akin to the tone of Marvel's library of films and/or the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot, and less like the tone of the recent fan film. Considering the reboot was recently delayed until January 13, 2017 , it still has a ways to go before it officially kicks off production. So if you were hoping to hear casting news anytime soon, you may need to wait a few more months as Israelite said they're just getting started with the process.
Read IGN's full interview with Israelite by clicking HERE.
What do you guys think? Is Israelite the right man for the job? Would you want to see the original Rangers make cameos or would you rather the new movie start fresh and merely pay homage to the original series? Who would you like to see don the iconic Ranger suits? San Diego Comic-Con is right around the corner, could we potentially see a casting announcement then?
Sound off with your thoughts below!
The Power Rangers say it's morphin' time once again on January 13, 2017
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