I believe it’s safe to say that we live in the era of franchises. While yes, actors may lend credibility to a project, at the end of the day, it’s the name of the franchise that seems to get butts in seats in today’s world. While the POWER RANGERS may seem like a bit of a long shot for some, we can’t neglect the fact that this is a franchise that’s been on the air nonstop for roughly twenty years in the U.S. That certainly counts for something, and it’s something the folks over at Lionsgate seem to be counting on. 

During a press conference call on Thursday, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer shared how big their plans are for the budding new film series.

“We are really, really excited about the ‘Power Rangers’ movie. We could see doing five or six or seven.”

You heard that. Five, six, or even seven films is what they’re looking to do with the POWER RANGERS. It’s easy to dismiss that as counting their chickens before they hatch. Warner Bros is another studio that’s been accused of something similar, namely in regards to the DCEU, which still hasn’t quite set up a solid foundation for the cinematic universe it’s trying to establish. But there is one key difference between what WB is doing with the DCEU, and what Lionsgate does with their franchises: the budget.

If you’ll recall, it’s been reported that the POWER RANGERS film will feature a relatively low $75 million budget. When compared to, say, the $250 million+ budget for BATMAN v SUPERMAN, it’s a huge difference in philosophy, which Feltheimer delved into.

“We believe very much of our strategy of offering more product for wider audiences and clearly at a more efficient price. We like the doubles area. If you look at the first TWILIGHT and the first HUNGER GAMES, we were planning for doubles and ended up with grand slams.”

 

The recent success of DEADPOOL proved that a mid-budget film could co-exist in a big budget world, and at the end of the day, it’s the strength of the script and direction that a film lives on. For the past eight or so years, budget on these films have been increasing so much, that it appears we’ve reached the point of diminishing returns. With DEADPOOL, POWER RANGERS, and the next wave of franchise films, perhaps that can be corrected a bit. After all, restrictions do encourage creativity, and help to make a film more than a run-of-the-mill studio widget.

What are your thoughts on Lionsgate’s plans for the POWER RANGERS franchise? Let us know your thoughts down below!

POWER RANGERS hits theaters on January 13, 2017.

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SOURCES: Variety, MorphinLegacy