'Power Rangers' release date, spoilers news: Bryan Cranston says film will be unlike TV series, compares it to 'Dark Knight' trilogy
While it will be based on the original "Power Rangers" television series and will feature most of that show's main characters, the upcoming "Power Rangers" film's tone will be unlike that of the cartoonish live-action children's TV show.
According to "Breaking Bad" alum Bryan Cranston, who is set to join the film's cast as Zordon, the mentor to the Power Rangers, the film will deviate from the "Power Rangers" franchise's style when it hits cinemas next year.
Cranston's casting as Zordon was confirmed last month. Because the actor is popular for roles that are geared towards more mature audiences, such as in "Breaking Bad" and in "Trumbo" (2015), his casting in what was deemed a child-friendly film took many by surprise. However, while Cranston came short of calling the new "Power Rangers" film "dark and gritty," the actor did say that it will be different from the '90s TV series, even comparing the reboot to DC's "Dark Knight" trilogy.
In a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Cranston admitted that he was initially reticent about boarding the film, saying that his memory of "Power Rangers" was that of a "farcical" and "silly" program. However, after reading the script and talking with the film's producer and director, he had a change of heart.
"After that I went, 'This is different,'" he recalled. "This is as different a reimagining as the Batman television series as it became the Batman movie series. You can't compare those two, and nor can you compare this movie version of the Power Rangers to that television series. It's unrecognizable for the most part."
"I don't know if the tone is as dark as that because you're dealing with teenagers," he added.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly in May, "Power Rangers" production manager Andrew Menzies also hinted at a different feel for the upcoming big-screen revival.
"It's tricky finding a new language for a superhero costume," he said, adding, "You can't win everyone over, but we are trying to appeal to a more mature audience and gain new fans."
The new "Power Rangers" movie is set for release March 24, 2017.
