Disney+ has spent the last few years taking beloved properties and bringing them up to date for a new audience thanks to the magic of streaming. One of their biggest prospective properties had been quietly in the works for some time but, unfortunately for those who hoped to see some mighty morphin’ again in the near future, it looks like things have reached the end of the road.
Disney+ had been developing a new series based on Power Rangers, the long-running Hasbro property, with some familiar talent from one of the streamer’s biggest shows behind it but unfortunately, it seems they’re no longer going forward with things, as per a report by Deadline last night. The project had been in development at the streamer for roughly a year and a half, with Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz attached to write and executive produce. 20th Television was set to produce the series, but it will now not progress beyond the development stage.
The report states that there were no issues with the quality of the creative direction of the project, but rather the economics of the project seemed to be prohibitive, because a high-end live-action superhero series like Power Rangers would require a substantial budget, while Disney and 20th Television don’t own the underlying intellectual property. The Power Rangers franchise remains owned by Hasbro, making the financial equation considerably less attractive for Disney+.
What’s Next for ‘Power Rangers’?
The cancellation marks another setback for Hasbro’s attempts to bring Power Rangers back to television in a major live-action capacity. Netflix previously worked on its own plans for the franchise several years ago, but those ultimately failed to materialize as well.
The Disney+ decision is also notable because the streamer has recently become more willing to develop projects based on outside properties rather than exclusively mining Disney-owned franchises. Projects based on Ella Enchanted and Casper, for example, have recently entered development at the company.
Steinberg and Shotz, meanwhile, aren’t going anywhere. The pair are currently finishing work on Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 for 20th Television ahead of its November 20 premiere on Disney+. They also have additional projects in development through their overall deal with the studio.
via Collider