eOne and Hasbro have closed a deal to bring on Bryan Edward Hill to write the “Power Rangers” feature film adaptation, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.
eOne will develop and produce the project.
The new film will involve a time travel element in which modern-day kids are sent back to the 1990s and are forced to find their way home. First put in development in December, the upcoming reboot of the ’90s-era TV show will now span both big and small screens. Jonathan Entwistle, who co-created Netflix’s “The End of the F–ing World,” will shepherd the entire franchise for Hasbro and eOne, the studio it acquired earlier last year.
The ’90s TV show, originally called “The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers,” was inspired by a Japanese children’s show, “Super Sentai” (even using footage from that show). It featured five teenagers who gain the ability to “morph” into superheroes known as the Power Rangers, complete with their own mech fighters. A film version of the series that starred most of the original cast was released in 1995, with a second in 1997 (this one featured only a few original cast members).
The series has had many different iterations throughout the past 20 years.
Lionsgate and Saban Film attempted to reboot the original “Power Rangers” franchise in 2017 as a gritty, YA adaptation. The film made only $142 million on a budget of around $100 million, scrapping hopes for a bigger franchise.
Hasbro acquired the “Power Rangers” franchise from Saban Brands in 2018.
Bryan Edward Hill, a prolific Black creator working in film, television and comics, recently adapted “Black” for Studio 8/Warner Bros. Hill also wrote “Revenge of Magic” for Stampede, and a rewrite of “I am Yours” for Paramount. On the television side, Hill is currently a co-producer on Greg Berlanti’s new DC series “Titans.”
Hill is is repped by Verve, Heroes and Villains Entertainment, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.
Deadline first reported the news.