'Power Rangers' release date is pushed back to 2017 - six months later than the original proposed schedule. 'The Hunger Games' star Sam Claflin, who plays Finnick Odair in the trilogy, was denied any involvement with the upcoming reboot.
It was reported that the reboot under Lionsgate and Saban Brands was supposed to premiere in theaters in the summer of 2016, according to Movie News Guide, however Lionsgate later announced that it will be pushed back six months for a January 13, 2017 release.
There had been no publicized reason for the schedule change but it was speculated to be caused by box office competition also scheduled on their target date. Lionsgate Co-Chairman Rob Friedman also expressed his optimism with the decision saying that they are all for director Dean Israelite's "vision" and are quite contented with the new schedule of release.
In an article by Movie Pilot, Saban Brands declared that the reboot would be family-friendly just like the original long-running show that first debuted in 1993. It was revealed that Saban and Israelite likened their new project's tone to that of Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man' with the same dynamic of John Hughes' 'The Breakfast Club'.
According to Cinema Blend, actor Sam Claflin denied any official involvement with the new reboot after his random tweet referencing the 'Power Rangers' franchise heated up speculations that he may be one of the teenagers donning bright colored superhero suits. He posted "Go go power rangers" not too long ago and fans read this as a hint of his secret casting into the film. However, a representative confirmed that Claflin was not a "candidate" at all.
The 29-year old Hollywood heartthrob is well known for his roles in blockbuster hits such as 'The Hunger Games', 'Snow White and the Huntsman', 'Love Rosie' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'. It was further reported that his age may be one factor that disqualified him from actually being part of the Power Rangers lineup. Sony and Marvel decided to cast young actors around 18 years of age.
'Power Rangers' is a modern remake of the popular superhero series 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' of the '90s. The franchise generated two theatrical motion pictures in 1995 and 1997 as well as home media releases, comic book series and video games.
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