Hasbro, one of the largest toy makers in the world, has just expanded its professional portfolio with the Power Rangers.
According to a press release from earlier today, the company has acquired the “mighty morphin” brand (along with a few lesser-known entertainment properties) from Saban Entertainment for $522 million.
The deal, in a combination of cash and stock, covers “all related intellectual property, category rights and content libraries” for Power Rangers, My Pet Monster, Popples, Julius Jr., Luna Petunia, Treehouse Detectives, and others.
While it is unlikely that any of those other assets will have an affect on the Hasbro Cinematic Universe, the acquisition more or less confirms that the Power Rangers will be getting a bit serious about their on-screen action.
“We see significant opportunity for Power Rangers across our entire Brand Blueprint, including toys and games, consumer products, digital gaming and entertainment, as well as geographically throughout our global retail footprint,” said Brian Goldner, chairman and chief executive officer of Hasbro.
The Power Rangers were first launched in 1993 and almost immediately became a pop culture phenomenon. The franchise was incredibly lucrative during its peak years and besides merchandising, enjoyed one of the longest running live-action television series in history with nearly 900 episodes produced for the kids to date.
The Power Rangers are normal teenagers that can “morph” into powerful superheroes to fight against the forces of evil. They also hold unique weapons, as well as the ability to summon and combine their individual “Zords” into a larger “Megazord” when it comes to fighting on the scale of King Kong.
Hasbro will release the first set of new products in spring 2019.
