Summary
- June 5, 2026, marks the release of the new live-action Masters of the Universe movie with a unique Earth-based storyline twist.
- The movie will feature Prince Adam instead of He-Man stranded on Earth, a risky move due to the 1987 version’s critical failure.
- The decision to set part of the new movie on Earth may detract from the vibrant world of Eternia, impacting world-building opportunities.
The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie is flipping the biggest problem from the 1987 version on its head – but it might still suffer for it. Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films are teaming up to bring the Masters of the Universe iconography back to the big screen with a new film adaptation. Bumblebee’s Travis Knight is on board to direct the Masters of the Universe movie reboot, and Chris Butler will be writing the script, working from initial drafts by David Callaham and Aaron and Adam Nee.
The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie is set to be released on June 5, 2026. The premise of the new movie has been revealed: a 10-year-old Prince Adam will crash on Earth and be separated from his Power Sword. Two decades later, he will retrieve the sword and adopt the mantle of He-Man to defend his home world of Eternia from the malevolent forces of Skeletor. This premise flips the conceit from the panned original Masters of the Universe movie, and it could lead to the same problem.
New Masters Of The Universe Adaptation Is Flipping The 1987 Movie’s Earth Story
The new Masters of the Universe movie is going to start out with Prince Adam trapped on Earth, and the only He-Man story that’s tried that before is the last live-action movie from 1987. Since that movie was a critical and commercial flop, it might not be such a good idea to borrow from it. This is similar to 20th Century Fox hiring Simon Kinberg, who messed up the iconic Dark Phoenix Saga in X-Men: The Last Stand, to adapt it again in Dark Phoenix (and, once again, he messed it up).
The risky new version of Masters of the Universe doesn’t directly copy the premise of the 1987 movie. In the original film, it was He-Man himself – not Prince Adam – who was stuck on Earth for a while before heading back to Eternia. He-Man chased Skeletor to Earth to prevent him from acquiring a cosmic key that would allow him to take over Eternia. But, whether it’s He-Man or Prince Adam on Earth, it might suffer from the same issue.
Why Using Earth Again Is A Massive Risk For Masters Of The Universe’s Live-Action Remake
It might be a bad idea for the Masters of the Universe reboot movie to go back to Earth, because Earth is a really boring setting compared to Eternia. Eternia is a rich, well-developed, visually stunning location. It hammers home the sword-and-planet style of the Masters of the Universe franchise. By going back to Earth, the new movie is squandering the opportunity to do some really beautiful worldbuilding with the sprawling setting of Eternia.
Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe is a live-action movie that reboots the popular He-Man franchise. Decades after Dolph Lundgren starred in the first live-action Masters of the Universe movie, Kyle Allen takes on the role of He-Man. The film is directed by Adam and Aaron Nee and is also a Netflix original film.