Will Power Rangers get a sequel?

The reboot of the 90s film came out this past March, but was it good enough to get a second instalment?

If you were a kid growing up in the 1990s, then you definitely know about Power Rangers, and if you were a boy growing up in the 90s, you loved the Power Rangers.

Originally aired on FOX Kids in 1993, the franchise began its first incarnation as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Though meant by its producers as a meaningless filler show, everyone became surprised at its runaway success. And though the show has continued with many more incarnations, the most recent of which, Power Rangers Ninja Steel, airs on Nickelodeon, it is always the original Mighty Morphin era that is remembered when one think of Power Rangers.

Thus when Lionsgate got the rights to the property and announced they were making a new movie, old fans were excited. The movie didn’t exactly perform well though and now the question hangs in the air: will Power Rangers get a sequel?

Straight answer:

No.

Here’s the really long answer:

BUT THE MOVIE MADE $140 MILLION ON A $100 MILLION BUDGET. IT MADE MONEY!

Not quite. While every film is different, production budgets never include advertising or distribution. So a $100 million film would then cost $50 million to market (trailers, posters, etc.). After that, theater chains typically get 40% of the film’s gross. Thus, taking these factors into account, Power Rangers actually lost money at the box office.

WHAT ABOUT BLU-RAY SALES? I ALREADY BOUGHT THE SUPER DUPER GOLD-PLATED COLLECTOR’S GIFT SET!

It’s true that in years past, some movies have gotten sequels because of high home video sales. Hot Tub Time Machine 2 happened because of successful DVD sales of the first film. Similarly, Blade Runner bombed in its original theatrical release but is now getting a sequel 35 years later! So it is certainly possible and it has happened. BUT every single film that has done well on video was because it had good critic and audience reviews. At 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, not a lot of people are recommending this one.

I’M STILL GOING TO KEEP HOPE UNTIL SOMEONE AT LIONSGATE SAYS A SEQUEL ISN’T HAPPENING

You can do that if you wish, but keep in mind that studios usually announce sequels within a week of the film’s release. That was the case with the most recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. These days, if studios have any faith, they’ll announce sequels and threequels before a movie’s release (as was the case with Fant4stic). The fact that we don’t have any evidence of a sequel means that we are not going to get one.

BUT I WANT TO SEE A CONTINUATION OF THE MOVIE’S STORY

The story of the film continues in the original graphic novel Power Rangers: Aftershock as well as the mobile game Power Rangers: Legacy Wars.

WHAT? NO! I WANT TO SEE ANOTHER MOVIE!!

This is exactly the problem. The demand for a sequel only comes from the hardcore fans. In order for a sequel to happen, it has to appeal to a mainstream demographic, and there simply isn’t enough interest on that front.

SO IS THERE REALLY NO HOPE?

I could tell you that there’s always a chance, that hope springs eternal, and what not, but the fact is that Power Rangers does not have a mainstream presence the way franchises like Marvel and DC do. However, Power Rangers is a big enough property that eventually someone will want to try again. Just be prepared that next time it will be a total reboot, not a straight sequel to this film.

In the meantime, Power Rangers fans can still get their fix for new stories with Power Rangers Ninja Steel on Nickelodeon. All the previous seasons are still on Netflix.