"Ars readers of a certain age no doubt remember the 1980s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series (and its spinoff, She-Ra: Princess of Powers) and the many, many offshoots of this hugely popular Mattel franchise, including an extensive line of action figures. Amazon MGM Studios no doubt hopes to cash in on any lingering nostalgia with its forthcoming film, Masters of the Universe. Judging by the extended teaser trailer, we're getting an origin story for He-Man."
"It's not the first time someone has turned He-Man into a feature film: Dolph Lundgren starred in 1987's Masters of the Universe, a critical and box office bomb that also featured Frank Langella as arch-villain Skeletor. Its poor reception might have stemmed from the 1987 film deviating significantly from the original cartoon, angering fans. But frankly, it was just a bad, cheesy movie, though it still has its share of cult fans today."
"This latest big-screen live-action adaptation has been languishing in development hell for nearly two decades. There were rumors in 2007 that John Woo would direct a He-Man feature for Warner Bros., but the project never got the green light. Sony Pictures gained the rights in 2009, and there were multiple script rewrites and much shuffling of possible directors (with John Chu, McG, and David S. Goyer among the candidates)."
"This went on until 2022, when Netflix acquired the rights on the heels of its success with a pair of animated shows starring Kyle Allen as He-Man. Netflix canceled the project the following year, citing budget concerns, so Allen never got that big-screen break. And Amazon MGM stepped in, tapping Travis Knight ( Bumblebee, Kubo and the Two Strings) as director and casting Nicholas Galitzine (2021's Cinderella, 100 Nights of Hero) as He-Man."
The 1980s He-Man and She-Ra franchises generated extensive offshoots and an action-figure line. Amazon MGM Studios is producing a Masters of the Universe feature presenting an origin story for He-Man. The 1987 film starring Dolph Lundgren was a critical and box-office failure that deviated from the original cartoon but retained cult followers. The new live-action adaptation endured nearly two decades in development hell, with 2007 John Woo rumors and Sony acquiring rights in 2009 amid multiple rewrites and director shuffle. Netflix bought the rights in 2022 after successful animated shows but canceled in 2023 for budget reasons. Amazon MGM then hired Travis Knight as director and cast Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man.
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