The future of "Power Rangers" will not include the city of Auckland.
"Power Rangers Cosmic Fury" will be the show's last season shot in New Zealand, ending the show's two decades in Aotearoa, 1News reports.
A Hasbro spokesperson confirmed the departure in a statement to 1News but did not elaborate on why the show was leaving.
Speaking to 1News, former cast members including Sally Martin, who played Tori, the Blue Wind Ranger in "Power Rangers Ninja Storm," waxed nostalgic.
"I was the only female ranger in my series and one of two Kiwis," she said. "I'd worked for a few years within the industry, but nothing could prepare me for that kind of schedule and style of shooting."
Several Kiwi actors, including Emma Lahana, Rose McIver, and John Tui, went on to successful careers in North America following their time on the show. Others, like Martin, Kelson Henderson and Nic Sampson, continued to find success at home. The show has employed hundreds of local vendors and crew members, and thousands of extras, according to the New Zealand Film Commission.
Disney first relocated production in 2002 under then-executive producers Douglas Sloan and Ann Austen.
Some in the industry told 1News they believe the move was made because of New Zealand's production tax rebate, which covers 20 percent of production costs and an extra 5 percent under certain circumstances if the production can prove significant economic benefits to New Zealand.
By comparison, California offers a 25 percent tax rebate to relocating television productions, with an additional 5 percent credit for hiring local workers outside of Los Angeles for shoots outside Los Angeles. The Canadian province of British Columbia offers a 39.5% tax rebate, with additional rebates available from the federal government.
The production came under local criticism in 2018 for shoehorning Kiwi content and characters into "Power Rangers Dino Charge" in order to extract more subsidies from the New Zealand Film Commission. "Power Rangers Dino Charge" and "Power Rangers Dino Super Charge" received NZ$8 million (US$4.86 million) in production grants against NZ$32.4 million (US$19.7 million) in qualifying New Zealand production expenses.
In 2022, Power Rangers Productions received NZ$8.1 million (US$4.9 million) in grants toward NZ$24.7 million (US$15 million) in payments to suppliers and contractors for both "Power Rangers Dino Fury" and "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always," according to the studio's annual report filed with the New Zealand Companies Office.
The news comes amid a regime change for the show. Showrunner Simon Bennett is set to depart with the show's writing staff, including story editors Becca Barnes and Alwyn Dale.
Entertainment One, the Hasbro subsidiary which produces the show, has tasked Jonathan Entwistle ("The End of the F***ing World") to lead a new "Power Rangers" universe. Jenny Klein ("Jessica Jones," "The Thing About Pam") will serve as showrunner on the next "Power Rangers" television series. Development is stalled due to the Writers Guild of America strike.
It is unknown how the likely sale of Entertainment One will impact production.
"Power Rangers Cosmic Fury," a 10-episode continuation of "Power Rangers Dino Fury," debuts on Netflix this fall.
