Green Power Ranger Jason David Frank wants to give older fans a chance to relive their childhood, in the form of a TV show titled Shattered Grid.
The upcoming series targets a 20-35 age group who grew up watching the original ‘90s series, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Fans will get to see the dark side of Tommy Oliver, known in his evil form as Lord Drakkon.
“He’s in an alternate dimension where he’s trying to become the ultimate ranger,” said Frank at the Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC) in Dubai on Friday afternoon. “At the end of the trailer, you see Lord Drakkon raising his armies to go after the rangers.”
The teaser clip appeared on the actor’s YouTube channel last month, racking up over a million views.
Frank, who’s been known to be active in the Power Rangers fandom, both online and in person, was still surprised by his following in Dubai.
“I’ve always been part of the brand for years. I was the first Ranger to step into these cons, six or seven years ago. Nobody [else] did. But now everyone wants to step forward because there’s money made here. I’m proud to say I don’t take appearance fees at these shows,” said Frank.
TO FANBOY, OR NOT TO FANBOY
His philosophy has always been to treat the last fan in line as if they were the first. And though he’s currently working on a Bloodshot project, Frank doesn’t shy away from the fact that fans want to meet the Green Ranger first and foremost.
“The last thing you want to do is run into an actor, like I have, who just don’t want to talk about the past,” said Frank.
He recalled a sour encounter with actor James Russo.
“He’ll probably never talk to me again, but I don’t care, he didn’t talk to me then. But I loved him, and I wanted to talk about Donnie Brasco, and I was so excited,” said Frank.
“He did a day on the movie I was doing. He said, ‘Don’t talk to me about that film! I don’t want to talk about that film. All my scenes were cut, I should have been a bigger star,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, God, OK. Sorry, have a nice day.’”
The actor added, “At comic cons, not to mention names, but a lot of people show their real colours in the green room.”
On the other hand, he’s had several positive experiences of meeting people he looked up to.
“When I talk to Chuck Norris, I get excited — he’s Chuck Norris. Very rarely do I go up to someone like, ‘Oh, my God,’ but the older people I do, like CHiPs and the old school A-team. We recently met Dwight [Schultz], who plays Murdock,” said Frank, pausing to look over at his team. “We need that picture from Dwight, by the way. We took a picture with him.”
KICKED OUT OF PREMIERE
Quizzed about whether he watched last year’s big screen reboot of Power Rangers, Frank confessed that he did, but was kicked out of the premiere, and never got to watch the ending.
“I did two cameos for it. The first cameo was cut. I did a second cameo. Big movie premiere. I was filming in the premiere [during my scene] — kind of got kicked out. Security jumped me. They followed me to the bathroom and took my phone,” recalled Frank.
“I did not until this day see the very end of the movie. Where’s Tommy Oliver? I was out with security.”
While Frank remains the favourite Ranger of a number of fans, does the actor have a favourite Ranger himself?
Yep: David Yost’s Blue Ranger, Billy Cranston. According to Frank, Yost made it cool to be nerdy.
“He really brought out the kids who wore glasses, the smart kids. He brought so much happiness to those people,” he said.
*The annual Middle East Film & Comic Con took place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, from April 5-7.
