Although it was released back in March, discussion revolving around Dean Israelite's Power Rangers has only continued. While the John Hughes-inspired film was praised for its inclusive cast and modern adaptation of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the movie wasn't the overwhelming success that the studio had hoped for. The film only made a modest profit at the box office, leaving the future of the franchise in limbo. But _Power Ranger_s is now available for home purchase, and it's selling pretty damn well. In fact, it's the number 1 Home Release in the country in its first weekend, beating out hits like John Wick: Chapter 2 and Beauty and the Beast.
This news comes to us from Home Media Magazine, which compiles the weekly DVD and home release sales. In its first weekend Power Rangers managed to snag the top spot in both rentals and sales, completely dominating the world of home releases. On the rental front, the film managed to edge out newcommer Life and the massively popular Logan.
This surge in purchases is giving Power Rangers a new life, especially for the many fans who clearly didn't see the film in theaters. But the Power Rangers brand has a level of nostalgia and iconography to it, so it makes sense that more casual viewers and 90s kids would wait until the film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray before they finally got to check it out. And those casuals shouldn't be disappointed, as plenty of the characters and settings from the original series are present in Dean Israelite's film.
News of Power Rangers' high sales might be a very good sign for the future of the franchise. While Lionsgate and company originally envisioned up to seven films with the new cast, Power Rangers' poor box office performance put the future in jeopardy. The film just didn't make the type of money they'd been hoping for, raking in $140.2 million on a $100 million budget. Director Dean Israelite has gone on to blame the film's PG-13 rating a part of the problem, as the Power Rangers franchise has typically been geared toward kids.
And while merchandise and toys have helped make Power Rangers more money (hopefully increasing the chances of a sequel in the process), the home sales might be a major step toward a possible sequel being greenlit. If folks are buying and renting the film now, it means that there is still a vested interest in the future of the franchise. Each frame of Power Rangers is still being dissected, so if the fandom can show the studios that they want Power Rangers 2 to happen, then it just might.
Power Rangers is currently available across all platforms. Be sure to check our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies
