Power Rangers director to helm Unexplained Phenomenon sci-fi thriller

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Dean Israelite, director of this year's POWER RANGERS movie, has signed on to helm a science-fiction thriller entitled UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENON for Amblin Partners. While working off of an original script written by Andrew Deutschman and Jason Pagan, Israelite will present a story about a family that discovers a mysterious object which contains a bizarre power. Before long, the otherworldly object sends each of their lives into a tale spin. The family soon seeks the aid of an expert and her teenage daughter who have a connection with the object and may understand its power and agenda. Word has it that the film will be inspired by True Events.

With production being set up by Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona through The Picture Company, the title of the film refers to a classification of FBI files that are investigated, but then left unsolved on account of the evidence related to the case defying logic and law enforcement protocol. The hope is that UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENON will inspire the launch of a franchise that showcases true stories involving supernatural events. In regard to tone, reports are saying that Israelite hopes to recreate the vibe of old school Amblin films like CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND and POLTERGEIST.

While this isn't our Unpopular Opinion column, I'd like to say that I rather enjoyed POWER RANGERS. Granted, I had missed the Rangers craze by about five minutes when the show was in its prime, but that didn't stop me from thinking the new one was a lot of fun. What I enjoyed most about the film was its overall presentation, visually speaking. It had kind of a J.J. Abrams lite thing going for it, I thought. Anyway, I'd be very interested to see what Israelite could do to help launch a new franchise revolving around true supernatural events.

What are your thoughts? Would you be down to check out some films based on true otherworldly events from around the world? Let us know in the comments section below.

POWER RANGERS is available to own right now via DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital formats.  

Source: Deadline Hollywood

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.