He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

By the power of grey...

Context: The first poster for the MOTU movie is appearing thanks to Licensing Expo and it's looking…grey.

This does seem to confirm my theory about Mattel throwing all their support behind this film while trying to pretend She-Ra doesn’t exist.

Oh sure, throw He-Man's twin sister under the bus. Not like the internet will raise a fuss. SMH

Well, the other She-Ra. I’m sure the Princess of Power is being saved for the sequel like they wanted in the 80’s when rights revert.

https://twitter.com/shangts/status/1134162102199955456?s=21

Mattel and Sony want this to be a big tent pole movie. Their voice conference today specifically mentioned “Marvel budget”.

Edited by Beatman1 on May 30th 2019 at 4:19:55 AM

I could see this working if the movie doesn't try to take itself too seriously , the same way Guardians of the Galaxy didn't, and embraces the wackt elements of the source material

You do realize that there have been serious takes on He-Man before, ie the 2000s cartoon, the DC comic, it doesnt HAVE to embrace the campy side of the franchise to be good. Now I'm not saying I want an ultra-serious movie, they can and should have some humor, but they can do more with it.

Edited by J79 on May 31st 2019 at 6:04:29 AM

Skeletor in the first live-action movie was serious. He was the best thing about it for a lot of people!

Yeah, I am still impressed that someone managed to act that well through the shitty mask and sell the shitty lines.

Edited by Swanpride on Jun 2nd 2019 at 11:50:14 AM

For an 80's sci-fi/fantasy movie it was actually not half bad between the visuals, production design and acting, the hilarious thing is that Frank Langella adored that role and the filmmakers bent over backwards with every suggestion he offered.

Given we haven't had a lot of fantasy-style movies lately with a proper budget a new Masters of the Universe movie could be a lot of fun. Something with a tone and visual style similar to Aquaman.

Yeah, maybe I am too hard on the effects and costumes…

Honestly, I actually like the movie. It is a guilty pleasure of mine. It is the strangest concept possible, but there is something enjoyable about it. Not quite sure what exactly, though. There are a few movies where you say "yeah, this isn't really good, but hey, I like those aspects of it". In this movie, though, really everything is kind of wrong and yet all the wrongness results in something which is kind of fun to watch - and I don't mean it in a usual "so bad it is good" way, more in a "somehow those bad elements fit together to something which somehow works, but I can't quite figure out why" sense.

Thus said, Skeletor might be the one element which is actually praiseworthy.

Edited by Swanpride on Jun 3rd 2019 at 1:37:59 AM

It's a movie where a movie about the Troubled Production would be more interesting than the movie itself. Viewed through that perspective it's in a weird place between So Bad, It's Good and So Okay, It's Average, it never lets itself come together but there is some charm and imagination between the visuals and performances. Obviously Skeletor is a lot of fun, but Evil-Lyn and Man-At-Arms / Duncan make a lot of scenes watchable. The whole fried chicken "This used to be an animal!?" "Never think when you're hungry." scene is even funnier to me as an adult.

I somehow like the idea of using music as a means to travel between dimensions. I know it is kind of stupid, but there is something nice about the melody and the notion that music is in itself something powerful.

The 80's film is a Guilty Pleasure of mine as well; I grew up with it and the old He-Man cartoon. I think the aesthetic is what held my interest beyond pure nostalgia: Sword and Sorcery meets Used Future. People Dual Wield lasers and laser-reflecting swords that cut straight through steel, have shields and anti-gravity tech that is wielded alongside Magic without veering into Magitek, and Frank Langella chowing down on the scenery trying to you convince you this is the next Star Wars instead of a cheesy 80's flick they had to finish with their own money after the studio gave up on them.

Honestly, Skeletor's portrayal IS the movie; not just the performance, but presenting a menacing villain that has just about already won in stark contrast to his Laughably Evil cartoon incarnation. Also his presentation: the robes and staff of a powerful magic wielder, the sword of a warrior, the gauntlets studded with the advanced tech you would expect of a sci-fi overlord, the Doomsday Device in the form of the Cosmic Key at his hip, and rather pointedly no sidearm-because he doesn't need one.

Edited by ViperMagnum357 on Jun 3rd 2019 at 4:50:50 AM

Super Mario Bros also had a similarly interesting Troubled Production, as seen on its fan website, and IIRC He-Man's production became the basis of a comic book arc (and its planned sequel's sets were put into a different movie!). These articles about movie Skeletor are relevant.

"Goddard ultimately chose Skeletor to be the "anchor" of the film. He and Langella worked together to turn the role into a showcase for Langella's talents. "Frank and I were having a great time because we'd find quotes from Shakespeare and quotes from Moliere and James Campbell. We looked for lines that would play out in a dramatic way." In the effort to embellish a performance that had become the foundation of the film, Langella ended up writing some of his own dialogue."

"But the tragedy of Skeletor (a phrase I am delighted to be able to write) is what makes the performance. There’s a real and true melancholy to Skeletor, especially as the film progresses and he finally gets the upper hand over He-Man. True, he’s gaining the kind of ultimate power my forever boy Sheev Palpatine would be thrilled to get, but… is that everything he truly wants? When he has He-Man on his knees, he asks, "Where is your strength? Where has it gone?" in melancholic tones. As he goes on to describe the cycle of death and rebirth where He-Man’s death will fortify his own power, Dolph Lundgren just looks politely confused, which speaks less against Lundgren’s acting prowess and more for him reading the room correctly. Nobody gives a hoot about He-Man when Skeletor is monologuing.

But the moment that seals it, for me, is when Skeletor asks He-Man, "Tell me about the loneliness of good, He-Man. Is it equal to the loneliness of evil?" This strange moment of vulnerability—of Skeletor admitting that, despite being so close to achieving his wildest dreams, he’s lonely—is the key to the whole performance. What has he sacrificed—besides, obviously, his face—in his struggle to take over Eternia? Whatever it is, it weighs almost as heavily on him as the Super Saiyan helmet he receives when he levels up. This nuance of character is an incredible feat, especially in a film based on a toy line that features the heroes staking out a fast food restaurant upon getting stuck on Earth.

Despite his long and storied career (including the less storied Cutthroat Island), Langella has called Skeletor "one of [his] very favorite parts." He took the role mostly because his son was a massive fan of Skeletor, and he did his son more than proud."

Edited by lalalei2001 on Jun 3rd 2019 at 3:02:12 AM

Here's a plot twist, Sony is temporarily shutting down production on Masters of the Universe!

It's due to budget and script problems. But before anyone panics or breaks out the champagne, it's temporary since the studio has too much investment in it to just throw it under the bus.

One point that should be made is how a source says the realm of Eternia is obscenely expensive to render in live-action.

Just when you thought it was safe to be a fan of He-Man...

Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Jan 25th 2020 at 8:55:32 AM

Bumping this thread because we got a double plot twist!

The movie ISN'T being temporarily shut down!

Plus, the original article from Heroic Hollywood has been deleted.

Necro-bumping this thread:

Tom Rothman, being the penny-pincher that he is, might just toss the pricey Masters of the Universe movie over to Netflix, if only to minimalize the risk of another dud.

I mean, we already have She-Ra and the Princesses of Power now and Masters of the Universe: Revelations coming later down the line to Netflix, so I wouldn't be surprised if this rumor ends up being legit.

That said, Netflix has started making its movies show up in theaters before putting them into the service. If that continues with Masters of the Universe and it becomes a smash hit, then Tom Rothman and Sony could wind up shooting themselves in the foot.

Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Oct 9th 2019 at 2:38:06 PM

Sony seems to make many stupid decisions when it comes to making a franchise, doesn't it?

Edited by Blueace on Oct 9th 2019 at 3:41:09 PM

Rothman is the Poochie of studio executives. He’s the guy studios get to squeeze water from stones because he’s exhausted all the other stores.

Well. It's just one bummer after another.

That Masters of the Universe movie we were supposed to get next year has been removed from Sony's release schedule altogether. And now the Uncharted movie is set for release March 5th next year, which was when MOTU was going to come.

Is Netflix going to have to take the reins of the MOTU movie after all?

Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Jan 25th 2020 at 8:57:35 AM

And back to Development Hell it goes... Seriously, just hire Noelle Stevenson to produce it.

If Netflix does take the reins, they might be able to reference She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, even if a full crossover would be difficult.

As for Noelle Stevenson taking over, has she ever done a movie? Because long-form shows are a bit of a different beast, so I'm curious whether she has experience with movies.

That’s Dreamworks. Mattel has taken a direct hand in all things He-Man after that show came out, including founding their own studio. Once the final season of SPOP airs, the general vibe I’m getting is Mattel wants to Unperson it.

This is Sony’s fault, not Mattel’s. Although the fact they replaced it on their docket with Uncharted, a film equally notorious for its Development Hell and as of now with no director, is pretty funny.

Edited by Beatman1 on Jan 25th 2020 at 12:59:52 PM

I got to talk with her a while back and she told me she's definitely interested in working in movies, and pictures her comics as movies, so this could be as good a starting place as any.

That uncharted film itself will never come out as well the way were going.