Even the Former Green/White Ranger Doesn’t Know Much About the ‘Power Rangers’ Movie
Every so often I’ll write a small throwaway line about the upcoming Power Rangers movie in any given news I post here. Because with every film that announces a release date in late 2016 or after, by then I will have seen a fully-realized, big-budget Power Rangers movie. A film that, I personally hope, stands to compete against DC, Marvel, and the big, noisy nostalgic tentpoles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (It won’t, but just let me hope.)
It’s still so bizarre to me that the movie is happening. The way the franchise was handled by Saban and Disney past its heyday, it looked like Power Rangers could never have a place in the larger pop culture zeitgeist again, even when the nostalgia wave first hit with Transformers. It’s proof that I can never work as a psychic, because now you’ll see former Power Rangers stars in nearly every comic book convention, you can buy expensive, fully-articulated figures, the complete series on DVD, fanfilms, and now the looming big-budget movie.
As far as us peasant consumers go, we know nothing about the movie. It has two well-known writers, it had a well-known (and hate magnet) executive producer, and that’s it. No cast. No director. Who else doesn’t know much about the movie? Former Power Rangers star Jason David Frank, aka “Tommy,” the Green/White/Red/Red again/Black Ranger.
From a recent interview with comicbook.com:
The movie is definitely set for this year. Everything is in place. They won’t give me specific details because it’s all like hush-hush. Even me, I try. I email Saban and ask them kind of what you’re asking me, but they do feel that I’m going to be part of it, because they feel there’s no movie, at least, without me. The funny thing is, one way or another, whether it happens or it doesn’t, I’ve been great to Lionsgate and I’ve been loyal to Saban. It’s not like they owe me, but if I want to ask for a personal favor, I’ve invested into their emotional bank account. I feel like it’s fair to have that withdrawal with them, because I’ve done nothing but support them for the last 10 years, 20 years in fact.
So when that happens, I don’t need to cash in any favors. I believe it’s going to happen anyway, but when it does, I’ll keep my fans involved, but I will tell you it is being filmed this year.
I know that for a fact. It’s going to be great when it is.
Jason David Frank has become a polarizing figure amongst the Power Rangers fandom in recent years. Whether it’s because he blows up his Instagram so much or what he’s actually saying in those posts that creates his enemies. His effort to ride CM Punk’s coattail a few months ago didn’t help his image much either.
I still don’t know what to think about the movie. Am I excited? Yes. Do I hate being left out? Yes. I will work as the director’s towel boy if it means I can participate, but if I can’t then I’m more green with envy than Jason David Frank’s spandex.
We have nothing else to report about the movie, but we will for sure when we learn more. Believe me.
If you’re hungry for more Jason David Frank, you can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can even see him in Bat in the Sun’s Super Power Beat Down. After all that you should be like the gluttony victim in Seven.
