Disney+ shelves ‘Power Rangers’ series before production after plans for high budget reboot stall
Disney+ has ended development of a planned live action Power Rangers series, according to Deadline, after about 1.5 years. The project, developed with 20th Television and written by Jonathan E Steinberg and Dan Shotz, was shelved before production. Reported reasons include high production costs and Disney+ not owning the Power Rangers IP, which Hasbro owns.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
The decision ends the project at the development stage, shifting Hasbro to seek another route for a next live-action adaptation.
Market read
Signals tighter scrutiny of expensive live-action outside-IP projects at Disney+, though the article does not provide financial impact or guidance changes.
What to watch
The piece cites cost and IP ownership economics but provides no details on alternative plans, which could limit how much traders should extrapolate for Disney+ content strategy.
Background
Disney+ had been developing a live-action Power Rangers series with 20th Television for about 1.5 years, with showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz.
Ticker impact
Disney+ shelved the live-action Power Rangers series, ending development before production due to unfavorable economics and IP ownership structure.
Likely limited near-term impact on DIS; any reaction would be sentiment-driven around streaming content strategy rather than earnings.
The article is a development cancellation (no disclosed financial terms, no guidance change). Traders may view it as a signal of tighter spend discipline on outside IP, but magnitude for DIS is unclear.
Market effects
Reinforces that streaming platforms may pause high-cost live-action projects when IP economics are unfavorable.
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Counterpoint
Disney+ may still pursue Power Rangers via a different structure (e.g., licensing terms, co-production, or different budget scope), so this is not necessarily a long-term retreat from the franchise.
Key entities
- streaming platformDisney+
Chose not to move forward with the planned live-action Power Rangers series.
- entertainment brand ownerHasbro
Owns the Power Rangers intellectual property, affecting the economics for Disney+.
- studio20th Television
Sibling studio involved in developing the series for Disney+.
- executive producer/showrunnerJonathan E. Steinberg
Co-wrote and executive produced the Power Rangers series while also tied to Percy Jackson.
- executive producer/showrunnerDan Shotz
Co-wrote and executive produced the Power Rangers series while also tied to Percy Jackson.
