After what felt like endless delays and false starts, we're finally going to get a live-action Masters of the Universe movie in theaters next year. Nicholas Galitzine is playing He-Man and TRON: Ares star Jared Leto will transform into the evil Skeletor.
The Hollywood Reporter recently caught up with Galitzine and asked if he's been watching the classic He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon and, if so, how that compares to the upcoming movie.
"I have, yeah. Look, what I will say is our version is quite different from the original animation, which we all agree was camp within its own right and worked so well for the time," the actor explained. "But there’s been a couple of iterations, obviously since there was the Revelation version of Master of the Universe, and the comics themselves."
"And we’re very much treating our script as as Bible, you know. But it’s kind of amazing to hear what this show meant to a lot of people," Galitzine continued. "It was really formative for a lot of people, so it’s exciting to do something that will have a nostalgia element as well as hopefully attract a bunch of new fans."
The decision to veer away from the animated series' tone will be good news for some and an unwelcome departure for others. Embracing the silliness might have served Masters of the Universe well, but getting too serious could lead to mixed results based on past experience.
Bumblebee director Travis Knight is helming the movie about Eternia's greatest warrior and the filmmaker has also tapped Sam C. Wilson (House of the Dragon) as Trap Jaw; Kojo Attah (The Beekeeper) as Tri-Klops; and Hafthor Bjornsson (Game of Thrones) as Goat Man.
They recently joined a cast that includes Alison Brie (Promising Young Woman) as Skeletor's lieutenant, Evil-Lyn; Camila Mendes (Riverdale) as He-Man’s trusted companion, Teela; and Idris Elba (Thor: Ragnarok) as Teela's father, Man-at-Arms.
While plot details are being kept under wraps, we know that Knight's collaborator on Wildwood, Chris Butler (ParaNorman), penned the latest draft of the screenplay. David Callaham and Aaron and Adam Neem previously took a crack at it.
He-Man gained widespread popularity through the animated television series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which aired from 1983 to 1985, spawning a vast array of merchandise, comic books, and a cult following. Netflix rebooted the property with 2021's Masters of the Universe: Revelation.
Masters of the Universe arrives in theaters on June 5, 2026.