There was some really big news for the Power Rangers this week, and now one former Blue Ranger is looking to capitalize. David Yost, who starred in 1993’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as Billy the Blue Ranger and now works as a TV producer, is up to produce a reunion film starring his original co-stars.
On Wednesday, Twitter user @antmaurizio asked Hasbro if they’ll “finally drop us a 1993/1994” reunion film of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. “You know - like my generation has been asking Saban for years?”
@antmaurizio then tagged all of the original Power Rangers stars (save for the first Yellow Ranger Thuy Trang, who tragically died in 2001). Yost responded to the tweet in the affirmative. “I’ll be happy to develop & produce and @_amyjojohnson can direct!” Yost tweeted, tagging co-star and friend Amy Jo Johnson, who has become an indie film director. Yost then tagged Hasbro and Netflix, to “let’s talk!!!”
Earlier this week, toy maker Hasbro announced a $522 million acquisition of the Power Rangers franchise from Saban Brands. Starting in 2019, Hasbro will operate all things Power Rangers, including production on the ongoing TV series, new feature films, and of course, toys. Hasbro’s involvement with Power Rangers began in February 2018, when it purchased the toy license from Bandai, which has made Power Rangers toys since the show launched in 1993.
With Hasbro now in control, fans see the new ownership as an opportunity to reunite with old favorites. Last year, Saban’s Power Rangers reboot disappointed at the box office, leaving the future of the series in doubt. But fans are eager to continue reliving the ‘90s, and Hasbro has long capitalized in satisfying nostalgic fans based on its toy releases for Transformers, Star Wars, and Marvel.
Separately, Hasbro has been getting serious with movie and TV shows. This year will see the release of Bumblebee, a spin-off of the blockbuster Transformers film franchise. In 2016, Hasbro announced a writer’s room to create a cinematic universe based on its toy lines, including G.I. Joe, Micronauts, ROM, and Visionaries. At Toy Fair 2018, Hasbro revealed a more modest slate, including Micronauts in 2020, a new G.I. Joe in 2021, and an untitled project in 2021. It is unknown where the Power Rangers could fit in Hasbro’s universe, but it’s not hard to see some room for a Megazord in between some Autobots.
