BREAKING MOVIE/TV NEWS

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Saban Brands Re-Launching "Power Rangers"

Saban Capital Group reports it has purchased the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" from the Walt Disney Company. Nickelodeon and Saban Brands will team up to program the characters on air for an 18th season. with 20 new episodes launched in 2011 and a back catalog of 700 episodes launching on Nicktoons later this year.

Produced by SCG Power Rangers LLC, the series will start new production this summer with original Executive Producer Jonathan Tzachor, a fresh teenage cast, look and theme for the show.

“Power Rangers is one of the world’s leading children’s entertainment properties and we are delighted to see its return,” said Haim Saban, chairman, chief executive officer, Saban Capital Group, Inc.

Following its introduction in 1993 on the Fox Kids Network, "Power Rangers" has been translated into several languages, becoming the #1 boys brand in the world from 1993-97, based on toy sales/TV ratings,


Airing in over 60 countries, the franchise's licensed products/promotions have generated over $5 billion worldwide.

The Walt Disney Company acquired the franchise in 2001 as part of its purchase of Fox Family Worldwide, which included Saban Entertainment and its library of children’s programs.

The acquisition is the first property for Saban Brands, a newly-formed subsidiary of Saban Capital Group, created to manage/license entertainment properties and consumer brands across media and consumer platforms.

Saban Brands also announced a new toy/video game license agreement with Bandai Namco Group, toy partner for "Power Rangers" since its inception. Saban Brands will manage the "Power Rangers" brand worldwide including licensing, merchandising, consumer promotions and brand extensions.

The original series, set in 'Angel Grove', California, followed two astronauts who discover an extraterrestrial container, inadvertently releasing the evil alien witch 'Rita Repulsa' from 10,000 years of confinement.

Upon her release, Repulsa and her army of evil space aliens set their sights on conquering Earth. When the sage 'Zordon' becomes aware of the release of the witch he was responsible for capturing, he orders his robotic assistant 'Alpha 5' to select a group of "teenagers with attitude" to defend the Earth from Rita's attacks.

The teens chosen are given the ability to morph into a formidable fighting force known as the 'Power Rangers', with an arsenal of weapons at their disposal and colossal assault machines called 'Zords', which can combine into the mighty 'Megazord'.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"...