If you’re a fan of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe franchise, then a Netflix subscription is definitely worth having to check out the newer animated TV shows, i.e. the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe revival that launched in 2021, as well as the Kevin Smith-helmed Masters of the Universe: Revelation and the follow-up Revolution. Conversely though, in July 2023, it was reported that Netflix scrapped its Masters of the Universe film reboot, so one won’t be able to see a live-action take on the property on that streaming platform. The good news, though, is that this He-Man movie isn’t dead. In fact, it appears to finally be making progress again.
Per Deadline, Bumblebee and Missing Link director is in final negotiations to direct Masters of the Universe. The deal hasn’t closed yet, and the outlet also mentioned that “other elements on the project are still coming together,” but Knight is reportedly the “top choice” to helm the reboot. Additionally, Amazon MGM Studios is in the final stages of acquiring the rights to Masters of the Universe, meaning if that deal goes through, Amazon Prime Video subscribers will be able to stream it.
After working as a producer on the stop-motion animation movies ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls, Travis Knight made his directorial debut in 2016 with Kubo and the Two Strings, which, like those other two movies, hailed from the LAIKA studio. Then in late 2018, Knight entered the live-action realm with Bumblebee, the Transformers spinoff focused on the eponymous yellow Autobot. His next movie, Wildwood, is another stop-motion offering from LAIKA and is set to come out in 2025.
Deadline’s report noted that Knight has been a “top Masters of the Universe choice for some time” given his experience with both animated and live-action filmmaking. He was also apparently the only director to give an in-person presentation, and this is what resulted in him getting the offer. Directors Aaron and Adam Nee were previously attached to the project, and they’d also worked on the script with David Callaham. That draft is now being rewritten by Chris Butler.
As for who will play He-Man, although Kyle Allen as tapped for the role back in January 2022 following Noah Centineo’s departure, it’s unclear if Allen is still attached to the reboot following Netflix scrapping it, or if a new actor will be hired if/when Travis Knight officially comes aboard. Considering that a Masters of the Universe reboot has been in development in one form or another for nearly two decades, I can’t promise that Travis Knight’s hiring and this latest script rewrite will finally what gets this project to move forward. It is, however, welcome news that the project is staying afloat rather than being permanently shelved.
We’ll keep you updated on how the Masters of the Universe reboot is coming along as more news comes in. After all, we have the power… to do that. If you’re interested in watching the Masters of the Universe movie from 1987 that starred Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella, it can be found on platforms like Pluto TV and Tubi.
