Power Rangers Director Talks About The Future Of The Franchise
Power Rangers reboot director Dean Israelite said there really are plans for five more movies in the franchise, confirming the statement that Mighty Morphin Power Rangers creator Haim Saban gave to Variety last week. Israelite told Entertainment Weekly that Saban wasn't just saying that flippantly, adding that there was a document laying out the plan before he even came on board to direct the revival.
"Obviously I was just incredibly focused on getting this one right and setting up the origin story while thinking about teasing the second one. So as far as I've gotten in terms of real discussion, creatively, we've only gotten kind of into the second one," he said. "We just haven't had the time to really sit down and talk about the full six, but there's no doubt there is enough material for it, absolutely no doubt that the franchise could be that big."
Israelite said there could even be more movies in the universe outside of the six as well, including prequels and spinoffs. "What's exciting to me is we're breathing life into tangential characters, in a way," he said. "Zordon has a lovely, robust backstory, as does Rita [Repulsa]. Imagine a prequel that was all about Zordon and Rita and their relationship and their Power Ranger team... There is a way to branch off into other parts of the mythology that this film tees up that were never truly explored in the show."
Israelite says that, if there are more Power Rangers films, he would be happy to return as director. "I love the franchise and what we've done with this movie and with these characters," he said. "I would love to keep going on this journey."
Power Rangers hits theaters on March 24. In the meantime, check out some of the most terrible things that the Power Rangers have ever done.