A new report claims that the long-gestating Masters of the Universe film is back on the table with director Travis Knight in “final negotiations” to direct.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (L to R) Yuri Lowenthal as He-Man, David Kaye as Battle Cat and Fred Tatasciore as King Randor in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2022
This report comes from Deadline’s Justin Kroll who shared, “Sources tell Deadline Travis Knight is in final negotiations to direct.”
However, Kroll hedged, “Insiders say his deal has still not closed at that (sp?) other elements on the project are still coming together but all signs are pointing to Knight being the top choice to direct.”
If you are unfamiliar with Knight, he directed the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee as well as Kubo and the Two Strings. He was also the lead animator on Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls.
Travis Knight speaking at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Bumblebee”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
On top of Knight reportedly in negotiations to direct the film, Kroll also shared that the film’s script will be rewritten by Chris Butler.
Amazon MGM Studios is said to also be in negotiations to acquire the rights to produce the project.
Masters of the Universe: Revolution. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2023
As for what the film is about, Kroll claims it “revolves around when Prince Adam was 9-years-old, he crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his Magical Sword – the only link to his home on Eternia.”
Kroll added, “After tracking it down almost two decades later, 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!”
Beastman and SKeletor in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #1 (2012), DC Comics
The film has been in development hell for years. The last big news about the film was that Netflix was scrapping it do to an inflated budget.
Variety’s Matt Donnelly reported, “Insiders said that close to $30 million has already been spent on development costs and the cash that’s been shelled out to hold on to talent – like previously announced lead Kyle Allen and the film’s heatseeking directing duo Adam and Aaron Nee.”
Donnelly added, “Other knowledgable (sp?) sources estimate all-in costs for development at twice that figure.”
He later declared, “The latest implosion at Netflix, according to five individuals with knowledge of the project, was over budget concerns.”
Masters of the Universe: Revolution. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2024
Before Netflix decided to scrap the project, actor Noah Centineo, who played Atom Smasher in Black Adam, was attached to play He-Man when it was expected to be produced by Sony Pictures.
He-Man was recast in 2022 with West Side Story’s Kyle Allen taking on the role. Along with Allen taking on the role Mattel Films producer Robbie Brenner shared the project was moving to Netflix, “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.”
She added, “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.”
Masters of the Universe: Revolution. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2023
The film’s producers Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch also released a joint statement at the time claiming they’ve been working to get the film made for 14 years.
Their statement said, “We’ve always been inspired by the fantastical world of Eternia. This movie has been 14 years in the making for us and our partners and we are so excited to tell an entirely new story for Masters of the Universe with the Nee Brothers and Dave Callaham for Mattel and Netflix and share it with a global audience.”
He-Man in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #1 (2023), DC Comics
At the time Callaham was a new edition to the film. Arc Marcum and Matt Holloway previously worked on the script when the film was at Sony.
David Goyer also worked on a script when it was at Sony. He informed The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, “What I liked the most about it was that it was mostly about a friendship between He-Man and Battle Cat. The idea was there had always been He-Men and different recipients of the Sword of Power, and that Battle Cat had always served at their side.”
Goyer continued, “And this was a new He-Man that Battle Cat and many people didn’t think was worthy of the sword. So it was a story of the character earning the sword but, more importantly, earning the friendship of Battle Cat, who just thought this guy was a lightweight. I really liked it. I thought it was a fun story. There was a lot of humor in it, and it creeps up on you because Battle Cat sort of grudgingly accepts him, and it’s Battle Cat’s acceptance of He-Man that gave this version of the story heart.”
He-Man and She-Ra: A Complete Guide to the Classic Animated Adventures (2016), Dark Horse
What do you make of Travis Knight taking on this film and it finding a home at Amazon MGM Studios?
