Jason David Frank's New R-Rated Superhero Movie Has More Than Power Rangers Connections

Published Sep 13, 2026, 3:15 PM EDT While Legend of the White Dragon has many Power Rangers connections, that wasn’t its only source of inspiration. Legend of the White Dragon was released in theaters at the end of August, arriving over five years after principal photography concluded, nearly four full years after lead actor and producer Jason David Frank died at the age of 49. Frank is best known for playing Tommy Oliver in several Power Rangers TV shows and movies, and other actors from the morphenomenal franchise appear in supporting roles. In an interview with ScreenRant's Dani Kessel Odom, Legend of the White Dragon co-director Aaron Schoenke, who also plays main antagonist Jai Katua/Dragon Prime, discussed the types of Easter eggs present in the R-rated superhero movie. The filmmaker, who previously worked with Frank on Bat in the Sun productions like Power Rangers: Legacy Wars – Street Fighter Showdown and Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe, acknowledged that there’s “so much that's derived from different parts of the superhero science fiction culture,” including Star Wars and Dragon Ball Z references. In his words: I know that, like Old Man Logan, or lots of the comics, but that Logan would be the movie. You know, it really had a big effect on Jason, what he wanted to do, and the love for even Star Wars, and a little bit of Dragon Ball Z, and just, it borrows from a lot of different fandoms. Keep that familiarity whilst making it something new and unique. So there's a lot of I want to say there's even some Batman and Superman in there in terms of just the psychological moral pillars. Legend of the White Dragon stars Frank as Erik Reed, who gains superhuman powers and armor with the White Dragon crystal. After spending three years on the run as a fugitive, Erik returns to clear his name and reunite with his estranged family. This mission is complicated by Dragon Prime, who also derives his power from the magical crystal, and seeks revenge against Erik. Despite their similarities, Legend of the White Dragon and Power Rangers don’t exist in the same universe, but they do share familiar faces. Among the other Power Rangers actors present in the movie is Jason Faunt, who starred as Wesley Collins in Time Force, and worked with Frank in Wild Force’s “Forever Red,” Super Megaforce’s “Legendary Battle,” and Super Ninja Steel’s “Dimensions in Danger.” While speaking with Odom, Faunt noted how Frank “felt the pressure of really making sure” Legend of the White Dragon “came together,” adding: It's a lot looser on Power Rangers, a lot more relaxed. We just had to learn our lines and know our characters, which we've known for years. But this here was a lot more involved, and I know that Jason felt a lot of pressure to make sure he delivered it. And so there's just a different good heaviness, yeah. But a little more heaviness on set during the takes than we did back in the day on Power Rangers. Faunt also mentioned that he “never realized how big Power Rangers fandom is” until he “started to travel almost 30 countries in the past eight years.” He described the fanbase as being a “wonderful community” and having an “interesting friendship” with the franchise’s actors. Additionally, David Ramsey, best known for playing John Diggle in DC’s Arrowverse franchise, recalled in his interview with Odom how Frank sent his then-four-year-old son “like a five-foot-long package of just Power Rangers material” upon learning he was a fan of the franchise. Legend of the White Dragon is now playing in theaters. Power Rangers Lost Galaxy’s Cerina Vincent, and Power Rangers Megaforce and Super Megaforce’s Ciara Hanna also appear in the movie, as do the late Michael Madsen, Rachele Brooke Smith, Andrew Bachelor, and almost-Power Ranger Mark Dacascos. Release Date August 28, 2026 Runtime 90 Minutes Director Aaron Schoenke, Sean Schoenke Writers Alex Kellerman, Aaron Schoenke Producers Sean Schoenke, Aaron Schoenke, Ben Dukes, Jason David Frank Cast Jason David Frank Erik Reed / White Dragon Aaron Schoenke Jai / Dragon Prime