Film history is built on cult classics as much as is it on blockbusters. These are movies that, while they didn’t necessarily make a huge impact upon their initial release, gained appreciation in later years and left fans wondering why we didn’t see more of what was originally presented. Somehow, a “Power Rangers” film falls into that category. 

Directed by Dean Israelite, 2017’s “Power Rangers” reinvented the story about a group of teenagers with attitude being recruited by the ancient warrior Zordon (Bryan Cranston) to fight bad guys in color-coded super suits. By jazzing up the origins of Jason (Dacre Montgomery), Billy (RJ Cyler), and the rest of the team, Israelite and his collaborators created a fun film that should have paved the way for sequels. That was the plan, anyway.

Before the film was even released, Lionsgate announced plans to make as many as seven “Power Rangers” movies, assuming the first entry was a success. So, how come a sequel never came to pass? The answer, quite simply, has everything to do with box office (or the lack thereof). That’s not to say there wasn’t a fan base eagerly waiting to see the Rangers back on the big screen. The numerous “Power Rangers” TV series, along with millions of dollars in merchandise sales, assured that folks were primed and ready for these heroes to return to theaters. The only problem was that Israelite’s movie had to battle several other wildly popular IPs when it arrived.

In any other era, “Power Rangers” might have stood a better chance of thriving at the box office. Even 1995’s “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie” was more successful upon its release, becoming the 41st highest-grossing movie of the year (whereas the the 2017 “Power Rangers” ranked 62nd). Unfortunately, that’s just how the cookie crumbles when you go up against the might of multiple massive tentpoles.

As it were, “Power Rangers” arrived a mere week after the opening of Disney’s live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast,” which brought in well over $1 billion at the global box office. It also had to do battle with the rather popular MonsterVerse movie “Kong: Skull Island” (a film that had debuted two weeks prior) and, a week after its premiere, the live-action “Ghost in the Shell” adaptation (itself a financial misfire that nevertheless grossed $169.8 million in theaters). Even the smash-hit “X-Men” film “Logan” was still tearing things up by the time the Rangers rolled into town.

Compared to blockbuster behemoths like this, the Megazords stood little chance. According to Box Office Mojo, “Power Rangers” grossed a disappointing $142.3 million against a $100 million budget. For any other property trying to re-establish itself, that would spell a death sentence, and the Rangers’ relaunch was no different. To make matters worse, a change of leadership behind the scenes transformed the intended “Power Rangers” sequel into yet another cinematic reboot.

After the film’s commercial struggles, any hopes for a “Power Rangers” sequel were dashed entirely when it was revealed that Saban, the IP’s longtime owner, was selling the morphenomenal heroes to Hasbro. From there, fans experienced a rollercoaster of good and bad news. First, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner suggested that a sequel to the 2017 movie was on the table, only for the Red Ranger himself, aka Montgomery, to reveal that a reboot was now being considered instead. “I think there is a movie in the works, but it’s not with me and the cast,” as he wrote on a “Stranger Things” Reddit AMA at the time. “So yes, but not with us.”

Unfortunately, that reboot followed a similar path to the sequel we never saw. In 2019, it was officially announced that a new “Power Rangers” movie was being developed by Jonathan Entwistle (the showrunner of “The End of the F***ing World,” which involved a time-traveling journey back to the ’90s). Within two years, however, the project had expanded into a cinematic universe that was set to launch on Netflix. 

Since then, though, there has been very little discussion on that front, and we can’t say we’re surprised. As of 2025, another “Power Rangers” film has yet to make its way into theaters, with the Rangers having been restricted to small screen titles like the Netflix reunion special “Mighty Mophin Power Rangers: Once & Always” in the meantime. No doubt, fans are still holding onto hope of a theatrical revival, but we’d advise against betting your power coins on it happening anytime soon.