‘Power Rangers’ director reveals reason kiss between Pink Ranger and Red Ranger was cut from film [VIDEO]

2017 Kids’ Choice Awards – Show - Los Angeles, California, U.S., 11/3/2017 - The Power Rangers. Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

“Power Rangers” featured a kiss that never was. The American superhero reboot film originally featured a kiss between Kimberly/Pink Ranger (Naomi Scott) and Jason/Red Ranger (Dacre Montgomery) in the trailer released earlier this year. However, that was deleted in the final cut of the film because fans felt betrayed by it.

In the trailer (see video below, around the 1:29 mark), Kimberly and Jason shared a smooch in his bedroom, implying the two were in a romantic relationship. That scene is missing in the film, which is currently airing in US and Australian theatres. Some fans were left bemused by the omission, but long-time fans of the ‘90s TV series and its 1995 film are also relieved.

As it turned out, when test audiences were shown the earlier cut of the film, they did not like the kiss between Pink and Red. “Nobody liked the kiss,” director Dean Israelite told EW. “It’s one of those rare times in a preview when something is so unanimous.”

And so it was deleted. The test audiences had a good reason they did not like seeing Pink Ranger locking lips with Red. They apparently saw the kiss as a distraction from the intention of the scene itself, which was showing Kimberly’s growth as a character from a mean girl to a superhero up until then. Israelite agreed, saying the kiss shifted the story from being about Kimberly supporting herself to being about her supporting Jason.

The director noted that everybody liked Kimberly more after they took out the apparently offending kiss. “I loved that we did it because my intention was never to have a female character try and be there for the male’s arc. It was always that she needed to stand independent of him.”

Reactions on social media from some long-time fans are also positive, but for a different reason. According to some comments, Pink and Red being together romantically did not feel right because Pink was with Green Ranger (who later became White Ranger and then White Ninja Ranger) in the ‘90s TV series. Kimberly, originally played by Amy Jo Johnson, was paired by Tommy, played by Jason David Frank, then.

“Power Rangers” also include Billy/Blue Ranger (RJ Cyler), Trini/Yellow Ranger (Becky G) and Zack/Black Ranger (Ludi Lin). Bill Hader, Elizabeth Banks and Bryan Cranston also join the cast. Johnson and Frank both have brief cameos. The film was released March 23 in Australia.