Director Dean Israelite's Power Rangers is just about a year away from opening on the big screens, but the first cast image has emerged from Vancouver where the movie is currently filming. It's decidedly less colorful than you might expect since the title teens are gathered together in their daily wear rather than their super suits. But it's still a solid look at the new faces of the famous, long-running franchise.
Power Rangers stars Dacre Montgomery (A Few Less Men) as Jason, the Red Ranger; RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) as Billy, the Blue Ranger; Naomi Scott (The 33) as Kimberly, the Pink Ranger; singer Becky G as Trini, the Yellow Ranger; and Ludi Lin (Monster Hunt) as Zack, the Black Ranger. Elizabeth Banks has also been confirmed to play Rita Repulsa. Look for Power Rangers on March 24, 2017.
Check out the first look at the assembled team out of their colorful uniforms:
Now, while these fashionable teens might look like they are out together on a friendly hike/field trip to the quarry/American Eagle ad, they're not exactly friends when Power Rangers starts out. They're “disenfranchised and disparate" as Israelite describes them, and they live in a modern world where color-coded heroes no longer have to be tethered by racial stereotypes:
“From the very beginning, diversity was a very important part of the whole process. We switched all of the races around, but we made sure that the essence of each of those characters are who they were in the original show, and this really will be an origin story of those characters.”
Irsraelite also talked about the Rangers' “really modern, edgy, badass” upgrades to their costumes, as designed by Weta Workshop:
“We’ve really pushed ourselves to make them feel different from any other superhero costume that’s out there. One key that’s different to the Power Ranger suits is that they’re not really suits that people get into. They’re suits that morph onto our kids, so they already have this almost metaphysical quality to them.”
And while the up-and-coming young actors may be relatively unknown commodities, fans of Elizabeth Banks certainly can't wait to see her inhabit the over-the-top role of Rita Repulsa:
“It’s very exciting that we got [Banks], and I think what she loves is the opportunity to really embrace the insanity and deliciousness of Rita Repulsa in terms of how weird and wonderful that character was, and really dive into and consume that character. You should always be off-balance when you’re watching her. Is she insane? Is she totally calculated? Does she know what she’s doing? Elizabeth can toe that line really well.”
Power Rangers opens in just over a year from now, but it sounds as if Israelite has assembled a solid team both behind and in front of the cameras. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing more from the movie as it becomes available. Here’s the synopsis from Lionsgate:
Saban’s Power Rangersfollows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late.
For more on Power Rangers, check out some of our recent coverage below:
- First ‘Power Rangers’ Synopsis Is a Throwback to The Original Series
- Collider Movie Talk: ‘Power Rangers’ Adds Elizabeth Banks, ‘Fast & Furious’ Sequels Dated
- ‘Power Rangers’ Finds Its Final Ranger to Assemble the Full Team [Updated]
- ‘Power Rangers’ Title, Budget, and Character Names Revealed [Updated]
