Summary
-
Bumblebee
director Travis Knight will direct the long-awaited live action adaptation of
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
, which is set to release June 5, 2026. - Knight’s experience in both live action and animation, including his work on
Bumblebee
and the animated hit
Kubo and the Two Strings
, makes him an ideal choice to bring the beloved 80s property to life. - The scrapped Netflix project’s initial vision was compared to the tone of
Thor: Ragnarök
.
The long-gestating live action adaptation of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has taken a major step forward. Not only is Bumblebee director Travis Knight confirmed to helm the movie, but the film has an official release date of June 5, 2026. After being canceled at Netflix last year, Amazon MGM Studios began negotiations to bring their own Masters of the Universe live action movie to the world. The script is currently being rewritten by Knight’s long-time collaborator Chris Butler (ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings) and will be based on the initial draft penned by David Callaham and Aaron & Adam Nee.
The synopsis of the film reads as follows:
“10-year-old Prince Adam crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword — the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later,
Prince 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!”
Masters of the Universe
10-year-old Prince Adam who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword—the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince 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!
- Release Date
- June 5, 2026
- Studio(s)
- Mattel Films , Amazon MGM Studios
- Distributor(s)
- Amazon MGM Studios
Travis Knight is well-versed in both live action and animation, with the filmmaker having helmed the animated hit Kubo and the Two Strings, as well as producing the likes of ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, and Missing Link through the animation studio Laika, for which Knight is CEO. The filmmaker also helmed the live action Transformers outing, Bumblebee, back in 2018. Telling a more intimate story of the titular Autobot set in the 1980s, Bumblebee is now considered one of the best installments in the ongoing Transformers live action series.
This combination of animation and live action skill is no doubt what has drawn the studio to Knight, and it likely doesn’t hurt that, with Bumblebee, he has already proven his affinity for bringing beloved ’80s properties to life.
The Live Action Masters of the Universe Could Take Inspiration From Thor: Ragnarok
Initially set for release on Netflix from The Lost City directors Adam and Aaron Nee and starring Kyle Allen as He-Man, the project was scrapped in July 2023. Reports at the time claimed that the streamer had spent somewhere in the region of $30-60 million on its development, and that ballooning costs were the main reason why the live action Masters of the Universe was ultimately canceled.
At the time, director Adam Nee compared the vision for the live action reimagining to the MCU outing Thor: Ragnarok.
“I think it’s the fun aspect, you know? I’ve heard from some fans that their dream [for Masters of the Universe] would sort of be like Lord of the Rings, but you can’t have characters like Snout Spout in Lord of the Rings! So I think that we are maybe more in the Thor: Ragnarok kind of tone where it’s a huge adventure film, but we have fun and there’s a good amount of reverence in there as well.”
It is currently unknown how much this may have changed in rewrites, or if Amazon and Knight’s Masters of the Universe will maintain the same tone, but considering that Thor: Ragnarök was compared to the He-Man property upon release, this approach would make sense.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has been adapted into live action before, with action star Dolph Lundgren playing the titular warrior way back in 1987. In fact, Lundgren recently said that he would consider a return, but only on one condition — if he got to wear a less skimpy and revealing costume.
While we await further news about the live action Masters of the Universe, Travis Knight will next direct the stop-motion fantasy film Wildwood, which is set to be released in 2025.
