The death of Power Rangers actor Jason David Frank was a big shock when the news broke last November. Following the end of his storied career with the superhero franchise, Frank had moved on to other creative pursuits, one of which was a 2020 short film called Legend of the White Dragon. Thanks to crowdfunding, it’s since ballooned into its own full-fledged feature that’ll be seen by audiences beyond the Kickstarter backers.
Per Deadline, Bascule Productions and the film’s producer Bat in the Sun have secured a fall release for Legend of the White Dragon, around the time of Frank’s birthday on September 4. At the moment, this only covers North America, and there’s no mention about the potential of expanding beyond that. Speaking to Deadline, co-director (and co-star) Aaron Schoenke said he was “grateful for the opportunity to share [Jason’s] final performance with the world. Having been on this journey with Jason for 10 years, I know he would be beyond excited to know that Legend of the White Dragon will be opening in theatres.”
In that same statement, Schoenke’s co-director and father Sean added that the film would “meet the high standards that Jason set for himself. The result is a powerful and moving tribute to his talent and dedication.”
Set in its own universe, Legend stars Frank as Erik Reed, the former titular superhero who’s spent decades on the run. Looking to clear his name and fight Dragon Prime (played by Aaron Schoenke), Reed returns home to the city he protected in his youth. Notably the film features other Power Rangers alums in its cast such as Jason Faunt (Time Force) and Ciara Hanna (Megaforce). The cast is further rounded out by Mark Dacascos, David Ramsey, Mayling Ng, and Frank’s daughter Jenna Rae Frank.