‘Power Rangers’ Blockbuster Film Is “Celebratory Moment” For YouTube Creators Says Adi Shankar

By 03/30/2017
‘Power Rangers’ Blockbuster Film Is “Celebratory Moment” For YouTube Creators Says Adi Shankar

On March 24, 2017, a new chapter in the 24 year-old Power Rangers franchise arrived in theaters. For many casual observers of the mighty-morphin’ saga, the blockbuster film is the first Power Rangers project to catch their eyes since 2015, when producer Adi Shankar offered up a dark, gritty take on the saga as part of his Bootleg Universe. That fan film, which was at launch not affiliated with Power Rangers owner Saban Brands, starred James van der Beek and Katee Sackhoff and was praised for providing a fresh spin on the source material.

Two years later, Shankar’s name is attached to a couple other interesting projects, but we thought it would be worthwhile to get his thoughts on the new Power Rangers blockbuster that scored a $40 million opening weekend. What does the man who reimagined a millennial pop culture touchstone in such an interesting way think of the latest iteration of 90’s classic?

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As it turns out, he’s a big fan. “It was dope,” he told Tubefilter in a phone interview, “I loved the movie, I thought director Dean Israelite did a good job. It was diverse, it appealed to multiple generations, it was a new creative take on something we know and love.”

Beyond that general praise, Shankar also believes the new movie is “a massive win for the internet.” He believes the film’s presence validates the work of Corridor Digital, Bat in the Sun, and the many other channels that have put their own twists on Power Rangers. “That movie would not exist without internet culture,” he said, paying particular attention to “everyone who is creating original content, all the cover artists, and all the people creating fan videos.”

As he sees it, digital creators can use fan content “influence the culture that influenced” them, with the Power Rangers film and others like it existing as part of a “weird feedback loop.” While previous blockbusters (Shankar cited the recent Terminator movies as examples) incorporated the work of online video stars into the marketing and promotion parts of the Hollywood machine, he now sees those stars exerting indirect influence earlier in the process. “Previously YouTube stars were the advertisers,” he said. “That’s slowly eroding to the point that YouTube content is starting to influence blockbuster decision-making.”

Building on that thought, I asked Shankar if he was worried that, in spite of the growing influence communities like YouTube have on Hollywood, it’s still the studios profiting from the multimillions in box office sales. To answer, he referenced Hollywood’s dwindling profits, particularly in non-blockbuster genres like comedy. In his mind, those genres will return, with digital creators leading the charge. “There’s going to be this massive creative resurgence,” he said. “The Hollywood studios are not going to figure something out. It’s going to happen organically and the internet’s going to create it.”

He describes this creator-driven future as a “new form” of moviemaking that we’re seeing “unfold in front of our eyes.” He believes YouTubers have “upended the star system, the studio system, all of it. If you’re a YouTube creator, you had a hand that created the paradigm shift in entertainment.”

Ultimately, although the new Power Rangers movie is still a studio film, Shankar sees progress. “The old way is still going to exist,” he said, “but this is a celebratory moment.”

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