Possessing the power of the Tyrannosaurus, Jason Lee Scott, the Red Ranger is the leader of the ‘Power Rangers’!  And now Lionsgate has cast the sword-carrying hero for their upcoming big screen reboot of the franchise with relative newcomer Dacre Montgomery landing the featured role.

Montgomery was not on the previously reported list of potential candidates.  It appears he won out over the better known Austin Butler, who’d been rumored to be the top candidate, along with Disney star Mitchell Hope and Australian import K.J. Apa.

Montgomery joins the already cast Naomi Scott who portrays Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger.

As with Scott, the announcement of Montgomery’s casting came via the film’s official Instagram account.  The message appears below:

 

#DacreMontgomery is officially suiting up as the #RedRanger. Get excited for the @PowerRangersMovie, coming in 2017!

A photo posted by Power Rangers (@powerrangersmovie) on

This is the description of Jason as he will be depicted in the movie:

Austin St. John played Jason the Red Ranger in the original ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ series.

Jason – 17 years old, the makings of someone or something great if he would just get out of his own way. Jason was a legend of this town—a freshman quarterback with the skills to take him all the way. People knew his name. Children wore his jersey. Until, one night Jason wrapped his car around a pole and busted out his knee. Everything Jason was going to become ended in an instant. And with it, he lost himself. When we meet him at the start of the film, he’s a kid in need of redemption. By the end, he’ll be leading this disparate group of teens to shed their individual baggage and find who they truly are.

Like with Kimberly, this is a darker depiction than the affable martial artist next door from the original series.  In another change up, Jason and Kimberly are romantically involved, at least at the start of the film.

In the original series, Jason was played by Austin St. John.

Not much is carved in stone regarding this reboot, as it was earlier believed that the parts of Kimberly and Jason would go to slightly more well-known actors.  (Scott reportedly won out over ‘The Carrie Diaries’ star AnnaSophia Robb.)  At the time, it was stated that the parts of Trini and Billy would go to unknowns, but considering that both Montgomery and Scott are largely unknown, who knows how the rest of the casting will go.  It is believed that a bigger name will be cast as the villain of the piece, who will most likely be the witch Rita Repulsa.

After 10,000 years of imprisonment, the evil sorceress Rita Repulsa and her loyal minions are freed when astronauts on a routine mission in space accidentally open her dumpster prison on the Moon. A team of “five teenagers with attitude” — Jason, Zack, Kimberly, Billy and Trini — receive superpowers beyond their wildest dreams so they can defend the Earth as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Morphin Time arrives on January 13, 2017.  The film will be directed by Dean Israelite.  Stay tuned for more updates as they arrive!

Source: Comic Book Movie