Power Rangers Movie Delay Explained
A Lionsgate executive explains why the Power Rangers movie was moved from a hot July release to January 2017.
When the Dean Israelite directed Power Rangers film was moved from summer 2016 to January 2017, fans were left to wonder why. Now we have the answer, courtesy of Lionsgate Motion Pictures Group Co-Chairman Rob Friedman.
“We're very excited and with Dean’s vision; we felt very comfortable looking for opportunistic dating,” Friedman said during a Friday conference call with industry press and analysts. “We really believe that great movies deliver no matter what date they're on.” Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer went on to cite American Sniper as a recent example of how a post-Christmas movie can succeed, stating, “We're picking a dating where we think we can win.”
The translation of everything you see above? They don't think Power Rangers can stand up to the bigger competition of the summer movies. Which isn't necessarily a bad call.
Power Rangers, despite being on air near constantly for the past 22-plus years, is not exactly at the height of its popularity. The reaction from many adults seems to be, “Wait, that show is STILL on?” Nostalgia for the show has taken an upswing in previous years, but can that translate into ticket sales? Lionsgate seems to not be sure, at least in regards to the highly competitive summer months.
Also, how in the world are they comparing American Sniper to Power Rangers? Yes, American Sniper did very well early this year, but that movie isn't even close to the kind of picture that Power Rangers will probably be (unless that film takes a VERY dark turn). It's as if they said, “Well, Fifty Shades of Grey did quite well early in the year, so Power Rangers should be just fine.” What?
With that and the recent fiasco over the leaked concept art from the film, Power Rangers doesn't necessarily seem to be off to a good start. But stay tuned, and we’ll keep you posted.