'Power Rangers' Movie Won't Be a Reboot, Will Connect to TV Show

Our chances of seeing Jason David Frank in a new Power Rangers movie just got better. In an interview with IGN, Roberto Orci, an executive producer on the upcoming Power Rangers movie, revealed that the new movie won't be a reboot and will connect with the years of Power Rangers TV shows.

IGN: Presumably it's not tied to the 21-year of history of the show. Are you going to use the same characters from the original series?
Orci: One of the first things we did was learn and read... They have 600 pages of research that they have on their stuff. We read through the synopsis of everything they did and we are actually taking into account quite a bit of the canon in a real way. We're not just a leave it behind reboot. [Haim] Saban cares very much about that. This is something that he created. I had to go to his house, personally, to tell him, "Listen, I'm your man. Miller and Stenz, these are your guys. I promise you I won't ruin your franchise." And he said, "It's very important to me, because kids around the world know what the Power Rangers are. So you can't just come in here and walk all over it. It better be consistent with what I've been doing." And I said, "Yes sir!"

IGN: Oh, so then does it does exist within the continuity of the TV show?
Orci: It's got a continuity within the world. I can't tell you what, but it does have a continuity.

If the new Power Rangers movie is going to be canon with the TV shows, that has to mean that we're going to see Tommy again right? Frank played Tommy longer than any other actor was in Power Rangers, even returning as the mentor of a new generation of Power Rangers in one arch of the series. Oliver still shows up at conventions as both the Green Ranger and White Ranger, helping him remain incredibly popular with fans of the show.

The need to tie original castmembers into the new Power Rangers movie isn't lost on Orci. When IGN asked about the chance of "cameos or appearances by original cast members," Orci said, "Of course. That's something we want to rely on the Saban group to tell us. They have a lot of internal knowledge of their franchise and we're just learning now. We've seen it only as fans, but they actually know it inside and out, so I'd love to know what fans want to see."

I can't wait to see this movie. Unlike back when I was a kid and wanted to watch Power Rangers, I won't have to secretly watch the show at a friend's house and hope my parents won't find out.