The Power Rangers movie gives Rita Repulsa a "modern and edgy" makeover says Elizabeth Banks

News
By published
(Image credit: Saban Entertainment)

 The Power Rangers reboot scored its iconic villainess when Elizabeth Banks signed on as Rita Repulsa. Wahoo! cried fans of the much-loved '90s show. It's a casting choice that seems utterly perfect for an actress who became practically unrecognisable as The Hunger Games' Effie Trinket. Now that we've got the first look at her dressed up as the Rangers' foe, it seems like Banks has done it again. 

 This time it's not just Banks who's unrecognisable - it's Repulsa herself. That's quite a departure from the original version of the character. Gone is the trademark white barnet, replaced by... well, she looks like the bastard offspring of Charlize Theron's Huntsman queen and the Green Lantern. 

While this drastic makeover is already making waves, the actress says it's all part of the plan to retool the Power Rangers brand into something new. “It’s definitely a modern and edgy reimagining of the original Rita Repulsa," she tells EW. "We wanted to give her a backstory that connects her to the new Rangers.” We've yet to see an official image of that fresh line-up, but if this is anything to go by, expect those Rangers to get equally batty costumes.

Directed by Dean Israelite and starring Naomi Scott, Dacre Montgomery, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, and Elizabeth Banks, the Power Rangers movie will be released in UK and US cinemas on January 13, 2017.

Images: EW / Saban Entertainment

Gem Seddon
Gem Seddon

Gem Seddon is GamesRadar+'s west coast Entertainment News Reporter, working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter.