UPDATE: Power Rangers representatives have reached out with the following statement:
"Power Rangers continues to own and renew hundreds of trademark registrations worldwide, including for the 2017 movie logo. The trademark registration process is very nuanced; and the status of the single application has no bearing on our ownership of or the future plans for Power Rangers, as the story inaccurately reported. The franchise remains as strong and enthusiastic about its future as ever."
FROM EARLIER: If you've been paying attention to the world of TV and film production, you'll notice how reboots are everywhere. With the trend of nostalgia proving to be extremely profitable, it seems like just about any property or franchise could return. Haim Saban tried to do just that with Dean Israelite's Power Rangers earlier this year, although the results were less than ideal. Despite a diverse cast, the film's reception was critically mixed, and it was ultimately considered a box office disappointment with its $142.3 million haul on a $100 million budget. The future of the franchise has remained up in the air, although there's some bad news on that front.
Because it turns out that Haim Saban has lost the trademark for their new Power Rangers logo. The logo was crafted specifically for the new film, which was supposed to be the first in a five blockbuster franchise. But following the film's poor box office performance, many have been assuming that the budding franchise is dead in the water. This news from Trademarkia seems to put another nail in the coffin, as that should theoretically be the logo used in a future sequel.
The future of the new Power Rangers movie(s) has been a topic of discussion and mystery since Power Rangers arrived in theaters. The critical and box office response was obviously less than ideal, putting the franchise in jeopardy before it really began. But there were a few reasons why a sequel seemed possible. One of these was the interest from the original Power Rangers fans, who are now well into their 20s and 30s. And the film ended with a bit of cliffhanger, teasing the arrival of Green Ranger Tommy, who may or may not have been set up to be a female Ranger.
While the box office performance for Power Rangers wasn't great, there was still plenty of money to be made. Following its release, there was a strong surge of merchandise sales across all Power Rangers brands. Merch is one of the biggest ways blockbusters make money, and has even shaped how movies like Iron Man 3 approach their villains. These sales gave hope to the fans who wanted to see the new Power Rangers movie continue on, but no news has came from the studio. And with the trademark for the film logo no longer owned by Haim Saban, we can almost guarantee that Power Rangers won't be getting a silver screen sequel anytime soon.
Power Rangers is still available for home release right now, which may be the only movie we get for years to come. The TV series also continues to produce new seasons, which are more focused on younger audiences. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
