The live-action Power Rangers series is dead at Disney+.
The project from Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz will not move forward past the development stage.
What are the details?
Via Deadline, Disney+ is passing on the series, which was set up at the streamer about a year and a half ago with sister studio 20th Television attached.
According to the report, the reasons are business-related rather than creative.
A high-end live-action superhero series is a major investment, and the economics get worse when neither the streamer nor the studio owns the IP. That is the case here, as Power Rangers belongs to toy company Hasbro.
The cancellation also fits with reports stating that Disney is putting out fewer live-action series and cutting budgets, as it has been doing with Marvel and Star Wars.
Hasbro strikes out again
Hasbro has been trying to get a live-action Power Rangers series off the ground for years. Netflix previously had its own version in the works before that project was scrapped.
The 2017 Power Rangers movie didn’t fare any better, grossing only $142 million on a budget of around $100 million.
The pass also comes as Disney+ has been opening up its slate to outside IP, with recent development deals for Ella Enchanted and Casper series, so money appears to be the deciding factor here.
What’s next for Steinberg and Shotz
Steinberg and Shotz are finishing up Season 3 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which premieres on Disney+ on November 20.
The duo is also developing additional projects at 20th Television under their overall deal at the studio.
Power Rangers history
Power Rangers debuted in 1993 with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, adapted from the Japanese Super Sentai shows, and became a ’90s phenomenon.
The franchise has aired nearly 30 seasons across Fox Kids, ABC, Nickelodeon, and Netflix, with Saban selling the brand to Hasbro in 2018.
