The live-action Masters of the Universe reboot has added its second major cast member, with Riverdale alum Camila Mendes set to play the key role of Teela.
Per THR, Mendes joins Nicholas Galitzine (Purple Hearts, Red, White & Royal Blue, The Idea of You) as Prince Adam/He-Man. West Side Story actor Kyle Allen was previously attached to play the muscle-bound hero.
Teela has been a permanent fixture of the MOTU franchise ever since the first mini-comics, and is usually depicted as Prince Adam's protector/He-Man's right-hand woman. The character is voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar in Netflix's Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series.
After numerous false starts, Netflix was all set to develop a feature take on the beloved animated series back in 2022, but we recently got word that the latest attempt to get the project off the ground had also fallen by the wayside.
However, we'd later learn that Amazon/MGM Studios had acquired the movie, with Bumblebee director Travis Knight in talks to helm. The movie is now set to hit theaters on June 5, 2026.
Chris Butler rewrote the script from an initial draft by David Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Previously, the Nee Brothers (The Lost City) were attached to direct.
An updated synopsis was recently revealed, it sounds like this adaptation will be making at least one major change to the established lore.
The story follows “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!”
There have been several different takes on Prince Adam's origin in the various animated shows and comic books, but this is the first time the character will grow up on Earth before making his way back to Eternia as an adult - although he '80s live-action movie starring Dolph Lundgren was primarily set on Earth.
Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch will produce, along with DeVon Franklin.
Netflix reportedly spent almost $30 million in development costs over two years working on the project, before deciding to walk away when the budget, originally set for more than $200 million, could not be meaningfully reduced.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe takes place on Eternia, a planet of magic, myth and fantasy. Its lead character is Prince Adam, the young son of Eternia's rulers, King Randor and Queen Marlena. Whenever Prince Adam holds the Sword of Power aloft and proclaims "By the Power of Grayskull! I have the power!” he is endowed with "fabulous secret powers" and transformed into He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe. Together with his close allies, Battle Cat (who undergoes a similar transformation from being Adam's cowardly pet tiger Cringer), The Sorceress, Teela, Man-At-Arms and Orko, He-Man uses his powers to defend Eternia from the evil forces of Skeletor. Skeletor's main goal is to conquer the mysterious fortress of Castle Grayskull, from which He-Man draws his powers. If successful, Skeletor would have enough power to rule all of Eternia and possibly the entire universe