In the 1980s, Mattel released He-Man and Skeletor action figures, and children around the world were immersed in the fantastic world of Eternia. Comics, radio plays, games and of course films and series with the popular characters followed – the last edit, however, was plagued by bad luck.
A new live-action movie “Masters Of The Universe” has been in the works since 2007, directors like Jon M. Chu and stars like Noah Centineo went on and off. In 2022, Netflix got involved in the project and cast the shooting star Kyle Allen (“Rosaline”) as the legendary hero and things seemed cut off.
But as the plastic icon “Barbie” prepares to conquer movie theaters worldwide, things are looking bleak again for her brother Mattel: Netflix has canceled the live-action adaptation of Masters Of The Universe.
There’s a lot of money in the project…
According to the sources of A lot of money has already flowed into the fantasy adventure, which can now be considered given away. Netflix has already invested about $30 million in the development of the film. This includes the cost of keeping lead actor Kyle Allen and directorial duo Aaron Nee and Adam Nee (“The Lost City”) on standby for a shoot and not committing to another project.
reports that some sources even think twice the amount is likely, namely 60 million! As ironic as it may sound given the funds already poured into the project: Concerns about the budget may have been the reason why Netflix dumped Masters Of The Universe. Know that out loud report to five people close to the project.
… but it would have been much more!
Given that so much has already been invested in the run-up, fears seem justified that the final budget for the action-packed epic fantasy adventure and likely lavish sets and costumes would have exploded. There’s talk of an estimated $200 million for the film, which should hit the camera in February – and the trend is upwards.
Especially since the current strikes of screenwriters and actors in Hollywood further complicate the situation and make budgets almost unpredictable. Because there’s no telling how costly it will ultimately be to keep talent on a project, and how much of the prep work already done can still be used after the strikes are over – for example, production plans that have been drawn up, but depend on of whether cast, crew and locations are still available, or whether everything has to be rescheduled. And like all streaming services, Netflix is currently on a budget cut.
What’s next for “Masters Of The Universe”?
However, this doesn’t mean the new “Masters Of The Universe” movie is completely dead — it’s just that it will no longer be produced by Netflix and would have to be redeveloped by another studio. On paper, brothers Nee and Kyle Allen are still on board, but that could change at any time. Mattel is currently looking for a new buyer . According to information from the industry magazine, Universal has already refused. Incidentally, the live-action He-Man movie was already in the hands of Warner Bros. before Netflix. and Sony Pictures gone.
Warner Bros. has meanwhile opted for a different plastic doll – and seems to have had the right instinct: ‘Barbie’ starring Margot Robbie opens in cinemas on July 20, 2023 and not only are the box office forecasts strong, and the recently published reviews are usually good to very good. From FILMSTARTS there are 4 out of 5 possible stars for “Barbie.
The MOVIE STARTS review of “Barbie”