Masters of the Universe, a series founded by Mattel Inc in the 1980s, is being developed into a live-action film by Netflix, with filming set to begin in summer 2022.
The picture, which was previously in production at Sony, will be directed by the Nee Brothers and will feature Kyle Allen (West Side Story) as Prince Adam, or He-Man, according to both businesses.
The plot revolves around an orphan named Adam who realizes he is a prince who is meant to save a faraway kingdom.
The movie will also receive special inspired dolls
In recent years, US toymakers such as Mattel and Hasbro have started vying with Hollywood studios for lucrative contracts. Mattel has also signed rights with Disney for the Toy Story and Cars properties, as well as Lightyear from Pixar Animation Studio.
Mattel also acquired the rights to make dolls based on Disney princesses, including Elsa and Jasmine, from archrival Hasbro Inc. earlier this month.
The production team has high hopes
“Masters of the Universe is an iconic property that shaped the imaginations of an entire generation of kids with the message of becoming the best version of yourself,” Robbie Brenner, Mattel Films’ executive producer, said in an interview. “With our partners at Netflix, we look forward to showing audiences that anything can happen in Eternia. We are continuing to unlock this global franchise in new ways, and we can’t wait to see Kyle battle it out with Skeletor in this epic live-action saga,” Brenner added.
“We’ve always been inspired by world of Eternia,” producers Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch said in an interview. “For us and our collaborators, this film has been 14 years in the making, and we are ecstatic to present an altogether new tale.”
Backdrop of the movie
Masters of the Universe was initially offered to the public in 1982 as a line of action figures by Mattel. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, an animated series, debuted the next year and was one of the first children’s shows to be shown nationally.
At one point, Noah Centineo was in discussions to play He-Man, while Art Marcum and Matt Holloway created an earlier script at Sony. The film was supposed to be released in theatres in January 2020, however, it was withdrawn off the schedule due to the current spike in COVID cases.
For Mattel Films, Brenner and VP Kevin McKeon will be in charge of the project. DeVon Franklin will produce with Black, Blumenthal, and Tisch (Being the Ricardos, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom).
Eternia was revived in two seasons by Mattel and Netflix last summer. Masters of the Universe: Revelation is a sequel to the 1980s’ famous narrative. The series was created by Kevin Smith and boasts an all-star voice cast that includes Mark Hamill, Lena Headey, Chris Wood, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is a stunning computer-animated series that reimagines the Guardians of Grayskull’s daring heroic escapades for a new generation of fans.