Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst ... 234
Results 46 to 52 of 52

Thread: Mighty Morphin Power Ranger news

  1. #46
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    RIP Shozo Uehara

    JAN 09 2020
    Shozo Uehara, writer of Ultraman and Japanese Spider-Man, passes away
    By BrianM in Television



    Super Sentai fans, there is sad news coming from Japan. Legendary tokusatsu writer Shozo Uehara has passed away due to complications with liver cancer. He was 82.

    Uehara is best remembered as the main writer for Ultraman and one of the original writers on Ultra Q, the series that preceded Ultraman. He was later contracted by Toei Productions and created his first Super Sentai series, Himitsu Sentai Goranger (known as Five Rangers in the West).

    Shozo Uehara was born in Okinawa, Naha, an island in the far south of Japan on February 6, 1932. His family survived World War II after fleeing a Japanese occupied Taiwan in 1944. They returned home only to find it had been destroyed in air raids and drifted in the seas for two weeks before reaching the Kagoshima Prefecture. Uehara’s family would eventually return to Naha, Japan in 1946.

    Uehara joined Tsuburaya Productions after graduating from Chuo University after his work was discovered by the company heads who read his writings about the war in Okinawan dramas. He would make his debut as lead writer for Ultra Q in the series’ 21st episode. From that point, he worked as lead writer for the fourth Ultraman series, The Return of Ultraman. Uehara joined Toei Productions in 1973 and created the Super Sentai series “Himitsu Sentai Goranger“, which likely served as inspiration for Saban’s Power Rangers franchise. He also led the writing team for the tokusatsu Spider-Man series (which is rumored to be featured in the second Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse film). He has also worked in several anime series including Dororon Enma-kun, Fist of the North Star, and Space Pirate Captain Harlock.

    Shozo Uehara passed away January 2 and his death was made public after private services were held by his family. Uehara’s inspiration lives on in Saban’s Power Rangers franchise and Netflix’s Ultraman series.

    Himitsu Sentai Goranger opening
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #47
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Continued from previous post


    Tokusatsu Spider-Man opening theme
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  3. #48
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Continued from previous post


    Ultraman 1966 opening


    Sources: Yahoo! Japan
    THREADS
    Tokusatsu
    Ultraman
    Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse
    Mighty Morphin Power Ranger news
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #49
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Jonathan Entwistle

    It'll be a long time until PW can challenge the MCU.

    THE POWER RANGERS JUST BECAME MARVEL'S NEXT BIG RIVAL
    The nearly 30-year-old franchise has finally become something it never was before: Original.

    John Lamparski/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
    ERIC FRANCISCO
    3 HOURS AGO
    UNLESS YOU'RE ALREADY A FAN, you likely haven't thought about the Power Rangers in years. The 2017 reboot movie — with Elizabeth Banks as evil sorceress Rita Repulsa — came and went, leaving pop culture to move on to the next Marvel movie. The TV show is still airing, but unless you're still watching Nickelodeon on Saturday mornings, Power Rangers is simply not on your radar.

    But last week, the franchise's future changed in a really remarkable way.

    The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Jonathan Entwistle, creator and director of The End of the F***ing World and the Netflix series I Am Not Okay With This, has been promoted from directing the next Power Rangers movie to becoming the franchise's answer to Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige. Entwistle has creative reign over the Power Rangers universe, one that will include A NEW TV SERIES AND MOVIE. Because it's 2020, everything will inhabit a shared universe. Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner also confirmed in a recent earnings call there will be separate Power Rangers content for adults and kids.

    “This is an unbelievable opportunity to deliver new Power Rangers to both new and existing generations of awaiting and adoring fans," Entwistle said. "We’ll bring the spirit of analog into the future, harnessing the action and storytelling that made this brand a success."

    What's most interesting of all is how the Power Rangers are proceeding creatively. Beyond aging up a superhero show approaching 30 years old, Power Rangers is now seemingly (though not confirmed) divorced from Super Sentai, the Japanese show it recycles material from. THIS IS A BIG DEAL.

    However much the Power Rangers move on from their Japanese roots, the new arrangement implies Hasbro, current owners of the Power Rangers, are investing into the franchise in a way previous owners like Saban and Disney did not. This could eventually put Power Rangers in a position to compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


    Haim Saban (center), with the cast of the 1993 series 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' at the premiere of 2017's 'Power Rangers.'Todd Williamson/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

    HOW THIS HAPPENED
    Back in 2018, Hasbro purchased the Power Rangers toy rights from Bandai, and has applied the same strategy to the franchise that it uses for Star Wars and Marvel. There are separate product lines for adult collectors and younger kids. When it happened, Saban Brands, owned by billionaire Haim Saban, was to continue producing Power Rangers media, including the TV show, video games, the very good comic books from BOOM! Studios, and whatever else they were cooking up.

    That all changed just months later. In May 2018, Hasbro became became the owners of the entire franchise, and took on the responsibility of producing more Power Rangers TV episodes. Hasbro's production company Allspark is behind the current iteration of the TV show, titled Power Rangers Beast Morphers, and the company will presumably make the next Power Rangers movie, whenever that happens.

    Hasbro and its entertainment subsidiary eOne see Power Rangers as a big intellectual property to weaponize, with 25-plus years of content to draw from and a built-in audience. When Hasbro acquired the Power Rangers for $522 million, it was a sweet deal. (It was even sweeter for Saban, who bought it from Disney in 2010 for less than $100 million.)


    At Power Morphicon 2018, the cast of 'Power Rangers Beast Morphers' were introduced in front of fans and welcomed by their predecessors, the cast of 'Power Rangers Ninja Steel.' 'Beast Morphers' is the first series to be produced by Hasbro.Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

    WHY THIS MATTERS
    For the first time ever, an entity with deep pockets is TAKING POWER RANGERS SERIOUSLY. And it isn't for a one-off reboot movie, either. This is the kind of active, long-term investment that neither Saban nor Disney ever bothered with.

    In the Hollywood Reporter story, you'll find no mention of Super Sentai, the Japanese TV show from which Power Rangers recycles major elements — costumes, monsters, giant robots, entire fight scenes, and sometimes storylines. This is how, and why, Power Rangers is a "cheap" show. Producing Power Rangers is antithetical to making television in that an entire part of the show is already done and the the rest is reverse-engineering a new story out of existing material.

    The lack of mention of Super Sentai in THR supports earlier scooping by The Illuminerd, which reported back in July 2020 that Hasbro was looking to sever ties with Japanese studio Toei. This means Hasbro may create A COMPLETELY ORIGINAL Power Rangers EXCLUSIVELY FOR WESTERN AUDIENCES.

    Next year, Power Rangers Dino Fury will run as the series has before, using elements from a Super Sentai series, 2019's Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger. But after that, audiences may be in for something they've truly never seen before. And it might be because of Entwistle himself.


    Jonathan Entwistle, director of the Netflix series 'I Am Not Okay With This,' is currently the lead creative on the Power Rangers franchise.Charley Gallay/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

    WHO IS JONATHAN ENTWISTLE?
    Entwistle has an established and proven YA voice. He produced and directedThe End of the F***ing World, a dark comedy about a teen sociopath on a road trip, as well as the recent Netflix series I Am Not Okay With This, where Sophia Lillis plays a restless teen with telekinetic superpowers.

    In both, Entwistle takes an ironic approach to bored teenagers experiencing a seismic shift in their lives. That both is and isn't quite Power Rangers. On the surface, a relatable version of Power Rangers would be that they're living a humdrum existence until a giant monster stomps their town. But Power Rangers has tended to work best with genuine sincerity.

    Nothing in Power Rangers clicks when the teenagers crack wise about the kaiju that just leveled their high school, but when there's authentic stakes as the teen heroes jump into mechanical dinosaurs. That's actually what many critics, like David Sims at The Atlantic, liked about the reboot movie. "Every line of dialogue ranges between clumsily heartfelt and nakedly absurd," Sims wrote. Vox too published a positive review in a headline that read Power Rangers "is magical when it stops trying to be cool."

    In 2018, Joshua Rivera wrote the definitive take on Power Rangers as a whole for GQ:

    At its best, Power Rangers could be sweeping, mythic and large, full of stories of sacrifice and loss—but also while never leaving behind the kids that watched it. Maybe you couldn't morph or pilot a giant robot dinosaur—that was okay. As long as you were good to people around you, you stood up to bullies, you helped people who needed it, stuck up for those who couldn't stick up for themselves, you could be a Power Ranger too. At its worst, it still sold toys.
    Entwistle has kept quiet about his plans for Power Rangers. Thus far, he's only shared on Twitter report on the ongoing process, adding that he intends to tell "one big Rangers story across Movies and TV." He has also changed his header image to the Green Ranger. But the specifics on how Entwistle will tell his story are as mysterious as the Rangers' next adventure.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  5. #50
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Pink Ranger!

    Original Pink Ranger Writing a Power Rangers Comic
    Amy Jo Johnson is currently writing a comic that will reunite the original Power Rangers!

    By Shamus Kelley
    |
    December 6, 2021
    |

    Photo: Hasbro | Boom Studios
    Since the Boom Power Rangers line of comics began it’s largely focused on the original Mighty Morphin team of characters. Now it appears that focus is about to go to the next level. Speaking at Emerald City Comic Con this past weekend, original Pink Ranger Amy Jo Johnson (who just directed an episode of Superman & Lois) let slip that she’s working on a comic for the line!
    Johnson stated that “I wrote a comic book with my boyfriend and Boom is quite excited about it. We’re sort of in the process of getting it made.” Johnson describes the comic as taking place in the present day of the Power Rangers world, with the original Rangers now in their mid 40s. “A ‘where are they now?’ kind of thing – like a Power Rangers family reunion.”
    This isn’t the first time Johnson has worked with Boom, having previously written the foreword for their Power Rangers Pink mini-series, which focused on her character of Kimberly. Johnson says that she’s never written a comic book but her boyfriend is obsessed with them so he’s the one “putting pen to paper” while she and him came up with the story together.
    Though Johnson didn’t elaborate how far along in the process the comic is or if any art had been completed, she said she hopes its release coincides with the show’s 30th anniversary in 2023. She also thinks it would be a great idea, “if every one of the original Rangers did their own comic book. Like did their own version of ‘where are they now?’ from that person’s perspective.”
    This isn’t the first time Boom has worked with a former Mighty Morphin cast member. Original Green Ranger Jason David Frank was a “Special Consultant” on the original graphic novel Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon. Johnson however seems to be more involved in the creation of this comic and is taking the story in a different direction than either Soul of the Dragon or the main continuity of the comics.
    Most of the Power Rangers comics ostensibly take place in the same continuity of the TV series though transplanted to modern day. If Johnson’s comic follows the Rangers in their mid 40s in present day it would most likely mean the story would be set in its own continuity and not follow the storyline of the comics. This would free her up to tell a more personal story instead of having to worry about whether her plot would conflict with the long running arc’s of the main comic.
    We can’t wait to see what Johnson does with the comic, not only because of the unique perspective she’d bring to it as an original cast member, but also because she’s recently written and directed several short films. Stay tuned for more information as it’s released!
    Thanks to @johnathancustis on Instagram for alerting us to the story.

    Written by
    Shamus Kelley | @riderjetfire
    For more from Shamus including original TV scripts and podcasts visit www.ShamusKelley.com. He’s been a TV writer since 2009 when he created and executive produced the…
    READ MORE FROM SHAMUS KELLEY
    threads
    Mighty-Morphin-Power-Ranger-news/
    Comics
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #51
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Red Power Ranger Austin St. John

    Red Power Ranger actor Austin St. John arrested for COVID wire fraud
    Eighteen individuals, including St. John, were arrested or summoned on charges of defrauding the government to receive COVID-19 business relief loans.
    Nick Romano
    By Nick Romano
    Updated May 20, 2022 at 05:44 PM EDT

    Austin St. John, the actor who played the original Red Ranger in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series of the 1990s, found himself in hot water with the feds this week.

    U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston and the Department of Justice announced the arrests of 18 individuals, including St. John, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a press release on Wednesday.

    St. John, 47, was picked up by authorities at his home Thursday morning, TMZ reports. A representative for the actor did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.

    One of the defendants, Michael Hill, is alleged to have recruited the other individuals to either use an existing business or to create a business in order to submit applications to obtain funding from the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program, the loan program that was designed to keep businesses afloat during the COVID-19 crisis.

    A statement was posted on the actor's Instagram account on Friday afternoon, reading: "Austin St. John is a father, husband, role model and friend to many. The indictment detailed today is populated by a multitude of individuals - the majority of which Austin has no knowledge of, and has never met or interacted with. It is our understanding that Austin put his faith, reputation, and finances in the hands of third parties whose goals were self-centered and ultimately manipulated and betrayed his trust. We expect Austin's legal team to successfully defend against these charges and lead to his ultimate exoneration. We ask that you respect the privacy of Austin's family in light of this serious situation, and thank you for your support."


    Austin St. John, who played the original Red Power Ranger, has been arrested for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. | CREDIT: BOBBY BANK/WIREIMAGE
    Andrew Moran, another defendant, is alleged to have helped his co-conspirators with fabricating supporting documentation and submitting the application through the government's online portals. After successfully obtaining the funds via false information, instead of using the loans as intended, the defendants allegedly spent the money on personal purchases.

    The 18 conspirators are alleged to have received 16 loans and at least $3.5 million in total. If convicted, they each face 20 years in federal prison.

    St. John, born Jason Lawrence Geiger, starred as Jason Lee Scott, the Red Ranger, on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which premiered in 1993. He returned to the growing franchise over the years as his character transitioned to becoming the Gold Ranger.

    The actor also appeared in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, the 1997 film that launched the Power Rangers Turbo television series. He also had cameos on some of the other Rangers shows over the years.

    St. John regularly turns up for fan conventions and events for signings and photos.

    This isn't the first time an actor from the Rangers-verse has faced legal troubles. Ricardo Medina Jr., who played the Red Ranger on Power Rangers Wild Force, was sentenced in 2017 for fatally stabbing his roommate with a sword. Before that, Skylar Deleon, who had a non-speaking role as a child actor on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, was convicted in 2008 of three counts of first-degree murder.
    Fraudsters who capitalize on the pandemic are especially despicable.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  7. #52
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Mighty Morphin Power Ranger news

    'POWER RANGERS' JASON DAVID FRANK DEAD BY SUICIDE AT 49

    EXCLUSIVE
    87.2K
    11/20/2022 8:57 AM PT


    Everett Collection

    Jason David Frank -- one of the original "Power Rangers" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

    Jason died in Texas, according to his rep Justine Hunt.

    Sources with direct knowledge tell us his death was the result of suicide.

    JDF is best known as Tommy Oliver from the original run of the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" franchise, dating back to the kids series' debut in 1993 ... when he was introduced as one of six crime/monster-fighting superheroes, masked head to toe with kung-fu skills.



    Fans will remember ... he started out as the Green Ranger in Season 1, introduced at first as an enemy of the Power Rangers -- only to do a 180 and become good. After his powers start to deteriorate, however, he's turned into the White Ranger ... and tapped as the new leader of the group. Frank starred as one of the leads for 3 seasons, totaling 123 episodes.

    Frank went on to reprise his role as Tommy in several adaptions of 'Power Rangers' -- including 'Wild Force,' 'Turbo,' 'Zeo,' 'Dino Thunder,' 'Megaforce,' 'Ninja Steel,' 'HyperForce,' and more. He's been a Red Ranger, a Black Ranger and a Green Ranger anew. JDF is a fan favorite Power Ranger ... which is why he's returned to the franchise time and again.

    His onscreen fighting abilities translated into the real world ... Frank was a professionally trained MMA brawler, who was well-versed in everything from Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and others. He fought professionally for a time from 2008 to 2010.

    He's survived by his four children.

    Jason's rep Justine tells TMZ ... "Please respect the privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being. He loved his family, friends and fans very much. He will truly be missed."

    Frank was 49.

    RIP

    If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
    RIP Jason David Frank (Green & White Power Ranger)
    Mighty-Morphin-Power-Ranger-news
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •