Actor, mixed martial artist and veteran Power Rangers cast member Jason David Frank made headlines this week regarding his interest in a donning the Green Ranger outfit for darker, standalone PG13 feature-length film.
In a statement made to
Complex quoted at
IGN,
Frank enthused his own aspirations for a self-titled spin-off of the highly successful 20 year television franchise.
“I’m talking to Saban about making a PG-13 Green Ranger movie,” he tells Complex.
“It’s just a matter of Saban stepping behind it. I was an X-Men fan growing up; I loved Wolverine. I feel like the Green Ranger can step outside the box and be like the Wolverine of Power Rangers. That’s why I think he can handle his own movie.”
Frank’s sentiments are nothing new as this week’s news comes a year after he expressed his thoughts on a hopeful development of a Power Rangers feature film in the essence of Christopher Nolan’s latest vision realized for his Batman trilogy,
telling a Power Rangers Zeo panel attendee at the 2012 Lexington Toy & Comic Convention,
“I think Haim Saban is very silly not to take those Rangers that we were and make a Dark Knight series out of it for you guys.”
The vision
Frank discusses here is currently the one in play, somewhat similiar to the non-profit fanfilm being crafted by NYC independent filmmaker
Dominick Sivili and producer/co-writer Louis Maldarelli for the upcoming release of
MMPR. Ironically though, as interpreted by writer Matt Leslie over at
Morphin Legacy, Frank has since rescinded from partaking on the project, citing his own creative differences on the character’s approach for the fanfilm, although it is reported that
Sivili still intends to hopefully cast him.
Popularized through the Japanese tokusatsu action genre, the highly acclaimed television series is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week. And Frank has been with the franchise ever since, being one of the most vocally active and fan-devoted veteran cast members since he first debuted as the character, Tommy Oliver, a.k.a. The Green Ranger, in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in 1993. In subsequent seasons thereafter, Frank became a solid foundation throughout the show, reappearing in 1994 as the White Ranger, and in future seasons in Power Rangers Zeo (1996), Power Rangers Turbo (1997) and Power Rangers DinoThunder (2004). He also starred in both Hollywood theatrical adaptations in Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) and Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997).
Frank is set to appear among an ensemble cast in next year’s debut of Power Rangers: Super Megaforce, returning as the Green Ranger. Frank will also make an appearance at this year’s Rhode Island ComicCon between November 2nd and 3rd with other former cast members, along with MMPR director Sivili who will be debuting a teaser for his upcoming fan film.
