A band of unassuming teenagers stumble upon an alien artefact, only to be imbued with life altering abilities that tee up a gritty superhero actioner. Sound familiar? It should. That’s because it’s the core premise underpinning Power Rangers, the 2017 reboot hailing from Lionsgate.
After wowing those in attendance at New York Comic Con, the reveal trailer stormed online and by and large, the reception has been one of cautious optimism. But in referencing that aforementioned set-up, screenwriter Max Landis has called out Lionsgate’s tentpole for its similarities to Chronicle, Josh Trank’s genre-blending breakout that located rising stars in Michael B. Jordan and Dane DeHaan four years ago.
Per Twitter:
I wrote a silly, fun, goofy retro teen action adventure movie.
They fired me, and five or so writers later, it appears they made Chronicle.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) October 9, 2016
Yeah, it appears they hired the writer of Chronicle and he wrote a Power Rangers movie, so they fired him and made Chronicle instead. https://t.co/F8lVEJqoU5
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) October 9, 2016
Exactly what Landis is asserting here is a little difficult to pin down. For instance, is the scribe claiming Lionsgate approached him to pen a treatment for Power Rangers, only to pull the plug when his pitch was a “silly, fun, goofy, retro” teen action adventure movie? Or is Landis stating that he was attached to the project early on and would have remained on board had Lionsgate stuck to their guns?
Either way, if what Landis is alleging is accurate, these Tweets are interesting insight into the formative years of the studio’s reboot. Because one way or the other, Power Rangers is currently the talk of the town ahead of its bow on March 24, 2017.