TV's Power Rangers morphing into film

More than 20 years after taking children's television by storm, the Power Rangers are morphing into the movies. In a statement, production house Lionsgate said Wednesday it is partnering with Saban Brands, which owns the rights to Power Rangers, to develop "an original live-action feature film based on the iconic Power Rangers property." No release date was given, but Lionsgate -- whose youth-oriented blockbusters include "The Hunger Games" and the "Twilight" franchise -- said the film version would "re-envision" the Power Rangers saga. Adapted from Japan's long-running "Super Sentai" television series, the "Power Rangers" are a group of teenagers who "morph" into superheros in bright spandex suits and helmets, ready to combat evil. The show premiered in the United States in 1993 as the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" and promptly became a global pop culture hit, supported by a vast range of Power Rangers toys, costumes, video games and comic books. Still in production under the title "Power Rangers: Super Megaforce," the program is seen in more than 150 markets around the world and translated into several languages. Haim Saban, the Israeli-American media entrepreneur who created the series, said the tie-up with Lionsgate should result in "a unique and memorable motion picture phenomenon with a legacy all its own."