Summary

• The live-action Masters of the Universe movie will be released in theaters on June 5, 2026.
• Previous live-action attempts have struggled, but the success of recent animated shows has renewed interest.
• With the right script and casting, the reboot could capture the magic of the animated series and be a success.

The long-awaited live-action adaption and remake of Masters of the Universe has received a release date. The hit Mattel franchise first began in 1982 as a toyline and made the jump to animation in 1983 in a series that follows the ongoing battle between He-Man, the alias of Prince Adam, and the evil Skeletor, on the planet of Eternia. The franchise quickly evolved across different mediums, and to date, it has spawned six animated TV shows, multiple comic series, several video games, numerous toy lines, and two feature films (one animated, one live-action).

There have been attempts to make another live-action movie based on He-Man for decades, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, the reboot has a release date. After languishing for years in development hell, the movie will hit theaters on June 5, 2026, with Travis Knight directing from a script by Chris Butler. The movie marks the second live-action adaptation of the Mattel media franchise, following the 1987 Masters of the Universe, starring Dolph Lundgren, which was a critical and commercial failure.

Can A New Live-Action Masters Of The Universe Be A Success?

The Franchise Has Struggled With Live-Action Attempts, But The Time Could Be Right

There are no details regarding the plot or casting for the upcoming Masters of the Universe movie, though The Fosters star Noah Centineo was attached at one point early in development. With a release date finally in place, there is reason for optimism around the project. A live-action reboot of Masters of the Universe has long been a struggle for studios to get off the ground, and the epic and detailed scope of the animated shows has made this more challenging.

It is worth noting that the franchise took a hiatus of sorts in 2004, with no animated shows produced until She-Ra and the Princesses of Power in 2018, which was then followed by two Netflix He-Man animated shows in 2021. The success of these shows has renewed interest in the franchise, and helped give the planned reboot traction, with Sony attached to produce the project at one point, before the franchise moved to Netflix, and now, reportedly, Amazon MGM.

Of course, announcements have happened before, with teases of a Masters of the Universe movie adaptation, which has then failed to come to fruition, but there seems to be a bit more weight to this announcement. The time could be right for a hybrid sword-sandals-sci-fi adaptation, and, with bigger budgets and technological advances nowadays, there is every chance a Masters of the Universe live-action movie can capture the magic and detailed world-building of the animated shows, and wind up a success, but the script and casting will need to be just right.

Master of the Universe will release in theaters on June 5, 2026.

Source: THR