JONATHAN ENTWISTLE SIGNS ON TO REIMAGINE NEW FILM & TELEVISION UNIVERSE BASED ON HASBRO’S POWER RANGERS FOR ENTERTAINMENT ONE
Further driving forward eOne’s strategy to produce wide-appeal film and television content from Hasbro’s rich library of world-class IP
LOS ANGELES – October 20, 2020 – Entertainment One (eOne), Hasbro’s entertainment studio, announced today that producer and director Jonathan Entwistle has come on board to shepherd new film and television adaptations of Power Rangers. eOne will develop and produce the projects with Entwistle set to direct across both formats.
“Jonathan has an incredible creative vision for this iconic and hugely successful franchise, and is hands down the right architect to join us as we reimagine the television and film worlds of this property,” said Nick Meyer, President, Film, eOne and Michael Lombardo, President, Global Television, eOne. “Across our slate, we are looking forward to working with the most talented storytellers as we take on Hasbro’s rich fan-favourite brands and build entertainment universes around them.”
“This is an unbelievable opportunity to deliver new Power Rangers to both new and existing generations of awaiting and adoring fans. We’ll bring the spirit of analog into the future, harnessing the action and storytelling that made this brand a success. I’m looking forward to working with the teams at eOne and Hasbro. Together, we can’t wait to share more Power Rangers with the world very soon,” said Entwistle.
Entwistle most recently co-created the Netflix original series I Am Not Okay With This and created Netflix original series The End Of The F***ing World. He is a graduate of the prestigious Chelsea School of Art in London and is represented by CAA, 42, Grandview and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.
Power Rangers is an American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise Super Sentai. The first Power Rangers entry, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, debuted in 1993.
In 2018, Hasbro acquired the Power Rangers franchise from Saban Brands, releasing their first products in early 2019. In addition to the new non-kid projects under Entwistle, Power Rangers-inspired kid series Dino Fury is currently in season two. Hasbro’s film properties include DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS, as well as the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE film franchises.
About eOne
Entertainment One Ltd. (eOne) is a talent-driven independent studio that specializes in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content. As part of global play and entertainment company Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS), eOne's expertise spans across film, television and music production and sales; family programming, merchandising and licensing; digital content; and live entertainment. Through its extensive reach and scale, and a deep commitment to high-quality entertainment, eOne unlocks the power and value of creativity. eOne brings to market both original and existing content, sourcing IP from Hasbro’s portfolio of 1500+ brands, and through a diversified network of creative partners.
About Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World's Best Play and Entertainment Experiences. From toys, games and consumer products to television, movies, digital gaming, live action, music, and virtual reality experiences, Hasbro connects to global audiences by bringing to life great innovations, stories and brands across established and inventive platforms. Hasbro’s iconic brands include NERF, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, BABY ALIVE, POWER RANGERS, PEPPA PIG and PJ MASKS, as well as premier partner brands. Through its global entertainment studio eOne, Hasbro is building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Hasbro is committed to making the world a better place for children and their families through corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Hasbro ranked No. 13 on the 2019 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere Institute for the past nine years. We routinely share important business and brand updates on our Investor Relations website, Newsroom and social channels (@Hasbro on Twitter and Instagram).
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It should be noted that Jonathan Entwistle joining the Power Rangers franchise isn’t something that just happened. Last December, it was reported that he was in negotiations to direct a new Power Rangers movie for Paramount Pictures that wouldn’t be connected to the last one and would see this Ranger team time traveling back to the 1990s. It’s unclear if this particular project is still in the works (albeit at Entertainment One now) or if it’s been shelved, but either way, his role has now expanded from director of just one movie to creative architect across both film and TV.
Of the three theatrical Power Rangers movies that have been released over the last 25 years, only 1997’s Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie shared universe/continuity with what the Power Rangers were doing on TV, with the movie basically serving as a pilot for the Turbo TV series. 1995’s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie served as an alternate take on how the original Mighty Morphin’ team’s powers changed compared to what went down in the TV show, and 2017’s Power Rangers simply delivered fresh takes on Jason, Kimberly, Zack, Billy, Trini, Gordon, Alpha 5, Rita Repulsa and Goldar in the modern era.
Originally the plan was for the last Power Rangers movie to kick off a film series over at Lionsgate, with the immediate sequel intended to introduce Tommy, the Green Ranger. However, along with earning mixed critical reception, Power Rangers only made a little over $142 million off a $105 million budget, those film series plans were scrapped.
Currently Power Rangers Beast Morphers is finishing its second season on Nickelodeon, and Power Rangers Dino Fury will premiere next year. Now that Hasbro is keen on intertwining the film and TV sides of Power Rangers more closely together, it’ll be interesting to see how these deeper connections are specifically reflected on both the big and small screens, although there’s already a multiverse in place that easily allows for numerous Ranger teams to cross paths.
More Nick: Hasbro Unveils 'Power Rangers Dino Fury' Sneak Peek at Hasbro PulseCon!
Originally published: Wednesday, October 21, 2020.
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