When Lionsgate’s Power Rangers reboot appeared in cinemas back in March, it managed to rustle up some serviceable but still pretty underwhelming business. The movie made just $85 million domestically and it failed to ignite in China, with just $4.2 million grossed so far. Currently, it stands with $140 million worldwide, and given its $100 million price tag, that’s hardly impressive.
Because of that, it seemed a dead cert that the series had been brought to a premature halt. Now, however, the franchise might have just been thrown a lifeline…thanks to its toy sales. Toy News is reporting that Power Rangers is currently the highest-selling action figures brand around. According to the NPD market research group, the brand’s figures have gone up 122.8 percent in the past year. April 2017, in particular, saw an increase of 185.9 percent versus the same month in 2016.
Obviously, the increase in Power Rangers toy sales likely has a lot to do with Power Rangers: Ninja Steel, the current incarnation of the long-running TV show, rather than solely due to the movie. Still, the figures prove that Power Rangers is a hugely popular brand name, which could lead to the execs at Lionsgate being more willing to give the movie series another go.
At least, we hope that’s the case. The first outing wasn’t perfect, but it received a lot of acclaim for its diverse cast of characters (including the first autistic and LGBT superheroes on film) and set up a lot of interesting elements that could be explored in future installments. For instance, the post-credits scene teased the introduction of Tommy Oliver AKA the Green Ranger, arguably the most popular character in the whole franchise.
If they do decide to call it quits, the loss of the franchise will be a massive hit for Lionsgate. They were clearly hoping for big things with this one. In fact, at one point, they had even hoped the Power Rangers series would last a hefty six movies. And that’s not including spinoffs.
So, will those teenagers with attitude go go off our screens, or will they return to save Angel Grove once more? Only (morphin’) time will tell, but until we hear more, let us know down in the comments section if you’d be up for seeing a sequel.