Masters of the Universe is being turned into a movie 40 years after the phenomenally successful cartoon debuted. Here’s everything we know about the forthcoming He-Man film, including release date, cast, plot, and more.
Masters of the Universe toys were launched by Mattel in 1982, who quickly produced a cartoon to promote their products. Crafted by Filmation, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was a combination of action, fantasy, humor, magic, and superhero tropes, and it was a global smash.
The classic TV show ran for two seasons, containing a whopping 65 episodes each. A live-action movie starring Dolph Lundgren then hit screens in 1987, to negative reviews, and pitiful box office.
That was the last Masters of the Universe movie, in spite of several successful small-screen reboots during the intervening years. But that’s about to change, with a new movie on the way.
Masters of the Universe release date
The Masters of the Universe movie will hit screens worldwide on June 6, 2026.
Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films are collaborating on the big-budget project. Travis Knight will direct, which makes sense as he previously helmed acclaimed Transformers movie Bumblebee.
Chris Butler — who collaborated with Knight on the animated movie Kubo and the Two Strings — is writing the screenplay. Early drafts were written by David Callaham and Aaron and Adam Nee.
Masters of the Universe cast
Nicholas Galitzine has landed the coveted role of He-Man in the Masters of the Universe movie.
Galitzine received positive attention for his work opposite Ann Hathaway in rom-com The Idea of You. He also appeared in Purple Hearts, Bottoms, and the 2021 adaptation of Cinderella, in which he played Prince Robert.
Kyle Allen (West Side Story) was previously cast as He-Man for a Netflix adaptation due to shoot in 2022. He replaced Noah Centineo (Black Adam), whose He-Man movie for Sony was supposed to roll in 2019.
Riverdale star Camila Mendes has also been confirmed to be joining the cast of Masters of the Universe and will portray Teela. Teela is a warrior who protects the Eternia royal family.
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We’ll update this article with more Masters of the Universe casting as-and-when its announced. There are lots of juicy roles to be filled potentially, including Man-at-Arms, Sorceress, Beast Man, and the villainous Skeletor.
What’s it about?
The film will follow Prince Adam returning to his home planet of Eternia years after crashlanding on Earth, now tasked with stopping the evil Skeletor while learning about his own history.
The official synopsis for the movie reads: “Masters of the Universe introduces a 10-year-old Prince Adam, who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword — the only link to his home on Eternia.
“After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe!”
Dolph Lundgren’s He-Man movie explained
The 1987 Masters of the Universe movie starred Rocky IV villain Dolph Lundgren as He-Man, and Frank Langella as his nemesis, Skeletor. But, in spite of much hype, and legions of fans around the world, the film failed both critically and commercially.
Much of the blame for that can be laid at the door of producers Menahem Golan and Yoran Globus. Best-known for low-budget action movies starring the likes of Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson, Masters of the Universe was seen as an opportunity for them to compete with the major Hollywood studios.
But, Golan and Globus made movies on the cheap. So, while the $22 million budget was big for them, it was low compared to similar fantasy and superhero movies of the period. This meant that, rather than taking place on Eternia — the magical planet in the cartoons — the film transports He-Man to earth as quickly as possible. Naturally, this proved to be a massive disappointment for fans.
Dolph Lungren was also a mistake. While the Swedish giant looks the part with his blond hair and massive muscles, he couldn’t really act the part. His He-Man is wooden as an oak tree, and Lundgren’s shortcomings as a thespian are thrust into focus when Frank Langella shows up as Skeletor, and promptly acts him off the screen.
The result is a movie that possesses a score of just 21% on Rotten Tomatoes (albeit from just 28 reviews). The film made less than its budget at the box office, earning just $17 million worldwide. Variety even called it a “colossal bore” at the time. So, here’s hoping four decades on, Travis Knight and his team can produce something more entertaining with their own Masters of the Universe movie.
Until then, explore new movies releasing this month, or read our list of the best movies of 2024. Or, for more hulking heroes, learn about Captain America 4 and James Gunn’s Superman.
