There is no better director for a film franchise than the one who really loves the franchise and knows it from the heart. Apparently, the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” reboot movie will finally get going after film producers Saban Brands and Lionsgate finally got a director in the person of Dean Israelite.
Word has it that Israelite is currently in serious negotiations with both Lionsgate and Saban Brands to helm the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” movie scheduled to hit theaters on July 22, 2016.
Roberto Orci was the first director eyed to helm the movie but early in November last year, he quit the project after accepting the directorial job for “Star Trek 3.”
Dean Israelite is an up-and-coming director who is a huge fan of the franchise. His most latest directorial accomplishment was the time-travel movie “Project Almanac,” cites The Wrap.
A fresh voice to the franchise
Israelite seeks to bring a fresh voice to the Power Rangers franchise. He has been asked to direct several Hollywood films in the past but he has been very selective with his projects, preferring instead to take the right one.
He believes that “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” is the right movie for him and he is also positive that he can get strong results from it as he has shown in the limited budget for the original sci-fi movie “Project Almanac.”
As the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” film would have a bigger budget but with still a young ensemble, Israelite is optimistic that he can turn the potential blockbuster movie into reality.
Dean Israelite is also set to direct the remake of the 1980s classic “War Games.” He was represented in the negotiations with Lionsgate and Saban Brands by CAA and Principato-Young Entertainment.
Undaunted and optimistic
Amid the departure of Orci in November, Lionsgate and Saban Brands remain unperturbed and did not change the release date of “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.”
Lionsgate is still bent on pursuing the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” reboot movie despite the fact that the first two films of the franchise were box disappointments in the 90s.
“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie” released in 1995 hardly created a stir in the box office by posting $66 million earnings worldwide. The follow-up film “Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie” was a much bigger flop grossing only $9.6 million worldwide.
The film outfit remains undaunted and optimistic given the franchise’s extensive and extremely devoted worldwide fan base as well as a deep and detailed mythology.
“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” just like in the past movies, is a group of high school kids gifted with unique and cool super powers who needs to work as a team in the hope of saving the world from the hands of out-of-this-world villains.
The movie was first announced in September last year and it will be written by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz, who co-wrote “Thor” and “X-Men: First Class.”