A second live-action Masters of the Universe movie has never happened, but not for a lack of trying. Studios like Warner Bros. and Sony have attempted to reboot the franchise, which is based on a Mattel action figure line of characters set in the fantasy world of Eternia. The main character in the Masters of the Universe franchise is a young man named Prince Adam, who transforms into the warrior known as He-Man after picking up a mystical weapon called the Power Sword. He-Man, surrounded by a colorful cast of capable fighters, defends Castle Grayskull and Eternia from the villain Skeletor and his lackeys.
He-Man and his friends have been the subject of multiple cartoons, with Masters of the Universe Revelation in 2021. However, the first and only live-action movie featuring the characters was released in 1987. Simply titled Masters of the Universe, the film starred Dolph Lundgren in his first leading role as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor. The film deviated from the cartoons by sending He-Man to modern-day Earth, instead of keeping it in the fantasy world of Eternia. Unfortunately, Masters of the Universe received mostly negative reviews and bombed at the box office. Though a sequel was teased in a post-credits scene, it was never revisited.
Over 30 years later, a Masters of the Universe reboot might still be taking shape. Sony had originally planned to release a He-Man movie in 2021, with Aaron and Adam Nee signed on to direct from a script written by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway with Noah Centineo cast to play He-Man. However, in January 2022, Netflix was revealed to have acquired the rights to the film. With production planned for 2022, the latest plans for a live-action He-Man reboot see Kyle Allen cast in the lead role, with Aaron and Adam Nee still attached and a script from David Callaham. With so much set up for the new movie, it might seem solid, but if the film doesn't end up happening, it wouldn't be the first planned Masters of the Universe reboot to fall apart. Here's every attempt to bring back the franchise that didn't pan out.
John Woo's Masters Of The Universe Movie
In the mid-2000s, reports emerged that a Masters of the Universe film was in development with celebrated Hong Kong director John Woo attached to helm the project. But as time ed, there were no updates on the movie, and it was eventually reported that Woo had lost interest in it altogether. At that time, the script for the film had never been officially approved by a studio.
Warner Bros.' He-Man Reboot With Joel Silver
Warner Bros. had a plan to make a Masters of the Universe reboot in the late 2000s, with Joel Silver producing. He-Man rights reverted back to Mattel.
Sony's First Masters Of The Universe Reboot Attempt
When Warner Bros. failed to get the film off the ground, Mattel, still interested in making a Masters of the Universe movie, started shopping it around to other studios. In 2009, it was reported that Sony Pictures had worked out a deal with Mattel to produce the reboot, with the story once again focusing on He-Man and his efforts to defeat Skeletor. Mike Finch and Alex Litvak penned the script, with the project being titled Grayskull. Sony tapped Jon M. Chu to direct, around the same that his film, He-Man's origin story, but later, Chu dropped out to focus on continuing the G.I. Joe franchise.
In 2013, it was revealed that Sony Pictures had yet to give up on their efforts to reboot Masters of the Universe. The script was rewritten by Thor: The Dark World. Sony found a director for Masters of the Universe in McG in 2016, but before it could go any further, Sony switched gears completely and went in a different direction with a new creative team.
David S. Goyer's Masters Of The Universe
It finally appeared that the Lord of the Rings.
Creature designer Carlos Huante said that Goyer wanted for the film to feel "real" but even more "fantastic" than Lord of the Rings. The scope of the story was supposedly so huge that it could have turned into multiple films. The problem here was that Goyer's vision was considered unrealistic in of what it mean for the size of the budget. Sony believed it would be too expensive, so by late 2017, Goyer's plan for a Masters of the Universe reboot was dropped. Goyer was removed as director but he remained attached as an executive producer, and Sony ultimately abandoned his ideas and looked to start anew with the world of Eternia.
Multiple failed attempts have been made to bring He-Man and the warriors of Grayskull back to the big screen to fight Skeletor. With the latest effort switching gears over to Netflix, fans are understandably concerned that the Nee Brothers' Masters of the Universe may soon be added to the list of He-Man films that never saw the light of day.
