'Power Rangers' release date, spoilers news: Director says film is 'grounded,' 'character-driven'; cast says Rangers have actual personalities

Bringing a decades-old franchise to the big screen more than 20 years after the original film came out is no easy feat and, as "Power Rangers" (2017) director Dean Israelite recently revealed, he was initially hesitant about taking on the project.

"I grew up on it and I have all the same questions other people have," Israelite said in a recent interview with Empire. "How are we going to update this? How will it exist in the contemporary superhero cinema canon?"

Fortunately for "Power Rangers" fans, Israelite and his team came up with a solution, which was to "add naturalism and a grounded nature" to the upcoming film, as well as making it "character-driven."

Later, the casting of two award-winning Hollywood staples, "Breaking Bad" alum Bryan Cranston and "The Hunger Games" actress Elizabeth Banks, gave the film some much-needed star power. According to Israelite, while Cranston, who will play the Power Rangers' mentor Zordon, was initially skeptical about the project, he later got excited about the film's potential after seeing some footage.

In his chat with Empire, Israelite also revealed that Weta Workshop, the special effects and prop company responsible for the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, "Avatar" (2009), and "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015), was also behind the new and improved superhero costumes for the Power Rangers in the upcoming film reboot.

"We've made the suits practically with Weta Workshop, with new cutting-edge tech," the director said.

In "Power Rangers," the beloved high-school-students-turned-superheroes will be played by Dacre Montgomery (Red Ranger), Ludi Lin (Black Ranger), Naomi Scott (Pink Ranger), Becky G (Yellow Ranger), and RJ Cyler (Blue Ranger).

The cast recently sat down with Bleeding Cool and spoke about how, unlike the television series on which it is based, the upcoming film gives the Rangers more depth instead of portraying them as mere stereotypes.

"The movie definitely wants to break down those stereotypes," Scott said, explaining that the Kimberly/Pink Ranger in the film will be far from just being a girly girl.

"It speaks to a generation that likes to label everyone, especially in high school," the actress added.

"Power Rangers" is slated to hit theaters March 24, 2017.