Credit: Saban Entertainment / 20th Century StudiosWho’d have ever thought that Power Rangers would suddenly be back on the map 30 years after it first appeared on our television sets? Though other retro properties such as Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remain as popular as they were back in their heyday, a recent attempt to reboot Power Rangers sadly failed.
But now, 30th anniversary special Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always (2023) is heading for Netflix, which sees the return of several actors from the popular television series. The trailer recently premiered online, and though it promises to be a trip down memory lane for many fans, sadly, there’s one iconic actor missing.
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52-year-old actress Amy Jo Johnson, best known for playing Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart in the television series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), and straight-to-video film Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997), won’t be appearing in Once and Always.
Earlier this year, she took to Twitter to address her absence, saying, “For the record I never said no… I just didn’t say yes to what was offered. But other fun stuff is in-store! Looking forward to watching my friends kick ass!”
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However, just last week, the actress hit back at rumors that she doesn’t appear in the special due to a pay dispute, or that the late Power Rangers actor Jason David Frank passed away before production started. Here’s what she said:
“Please stop saying I didn’t do reunion because of money. Simply not true. Maybe I just didn’t want to wear spandex in my 50s or couldn’t go to NZ [New Zealand] for a month. Or none of ur beeswax. JDF [Jason David Frank] and I both chose not to for our own reasons. They filmed before he passed.”
It’s hard to imagine a Power Rangers reunion without Amy Jo Johnson and Jason David Frank. After all, they didn’t just star alongside each other in the series and the 1995 film, they even share a cameo in the 2017 reboot. They were also close friends — following Frank’s tragic passing last year, Johnson shared a gut-wrenching video expressing her grief and love for her fellow Ranger.
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Now, just days after addressing those rumors, Johnson has made a huge announcement. Taking to Twitter once again, the actress, who in more recent years has been best known for her directorial work on short films, feature films, and CW’s Superman and Lois (2021), revealed that she’s now working on her very own Power Rangers series.
Check out her tweet below:
“Yippee!! I can finally share that I’m writing a MMPR comic book series with @boomstudios #PowerRangers30 It’s been so hard keeping this secret. I love my #mmpr fans and friend. This is my gesture and my thank you. more to come!”
Yippee!! I can finally share that I’m writing a MMPR comic book series with @boomstudios #PowerRangers30 It’s been so hard keeping this secret. 🤣 I love my #mmpr fans and friend. This is my gesture and my thank you. 🦋 more to come! https://t.co/DNsrvVhj05
— Amy Jo Johnson (@_amyjojohnson) March 31, 2023
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As reported by Variety, Johnson has raised $250, 000 via a Kickstarter campaign for Power Rangers: A 30th Anniversary Comic Book Celebration (2024), which she will co-write with partner Matt Hotson, along with publisher BOOM! Studios, who have been churning out Power Rangers comic books since 2016.
BOOM! Studios shared the below tweet in making the announcement:
“We’ve sped past the $25k mark and unlocked a new series announcement: Original @PowerRangers cast member @_amyjojohnson , along with co-writer Matt Hotson, are writing a brand new Power Rangers series! #MMPR”
We’ve sped past the $25k mark and unlocked a new series announcement: Original @PowerRangers cast member @_amyjojohnson , along with co-writer Matt Hotson, are writing a brand new Power Rangers series! #MMPR
More Info ➜ https://t.co/YDVl1omzmq
Reserve ➜ https://t.co/JM0NkboLuC pic.twitter.com/yJi0ruaXgs— BOOM! Studios (@boomstudios) March 31, 2023
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Johnson reveals that she came up with the idea just before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, saying, “I was daydreaming about it and mentioned it to my boyfriend, Matt. He said, ‘Why don’t you try to write it as a comic book?’ We had all the time on our hands, so we daydreamed up this entire comic book series knowing the 30th anniversary was coming.”
During her interview with Variety, Johnson offered more insight into her decision not to appear in the anniversary special on Netflix. “There were a bunch of different factors that came into play, ” she said. “One of them [being] I was working on other projects, and I also have a 14-year-old… I stopped acting and switched my focus to writing [and] directing almost 10 years ago. I can give you a list of excuses. It just didn’t even occur to me [to join the reunion] because I was so focused on this comic book and telling this story.”
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Johnson promises that the new comic book series will be “different” from the original series, saying “it’s my version”. She went on to say, “This is my thank you, this is my love letter to the fans.” While there are no plot details as yet, it’s likely the series will focus on her character Kimberly Hart/the Pink Ranger. But here’s to hoping it will also feature Jason David Frank’s Tommy Oliver/the Green Ranger/the White Ranger in some capacity.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always premiers on Netflix on April 19, 2023. As per Netflix, here’s the official synopsis:
After tragedy strikes, an unlikely young hero takes her rightful place among the Power Rangers to face off against the team’s oldest archnemesis.
It stars David Yost, Walter Jones, Catherine Sutherland, Steve Cardenas, Karan Ashley, and Johnny Yong Bosch, who are reprising their roles as Power Rangers Billy Cranston, Zack Taylor, Katherine Hillard, Rocky DeSantos, Aisha Campbell, and Adam Park, respectively, and Barbara Goodson and Richard Horvits, as Rita Repulsa/Robo Rita, and Alpha 5.
Check out the trailer below:
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Once & Always isn’t the only upcoming project fans can look forward to. While not a Power Rangers film per se, Jason David Frank‘s last project, titled Legend of the White Dragon (2023), stars Frank as the titular White Dragon and former Power Rangers Jason Faunt, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Ciara Hanna. The film is expected to get a theatrical release in September to coincide with the actor’s 50th birthday.
Check out the trailer below:
Are you excited to read Amy Jo Johnson’s upcoming Power Rangers comic book series? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!