There’s a strange irony to the fate of “Masters Of The Universe.” Travis Knight’s big-budget revival of the beloved Mattel franchise struggled to find a theater audience, grossing about $114 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $170 million-plus. But the film found a much more receptive audience on Prime Video, where it debuted at No. 1 on Nielsen’s streaming charts, with 1.17 billion minutes watched in its first five days. So, despite its theatrical disappointment, is there still hope for a sequel?
While promoting his latest film, “Wildwood” (read our glowing review), Knight spoke with The Playlist’s Mike DeAngelo and was asked whether a follow-up might still be in development. While he stopped short of confirming anything, he made it clear that he’s always thinking about where his characters might go next.
“I mean, look, with everything that I do, I approach it as if I only ever get one shot at telling a story with these characters in this world. I put everything I have into it,” Knight explained. “I did the same thing with ‘Masters of the Universe,’ and those sorts of decisions are out of my hands.”
That doesn’t mean the filmmaker hasn’t considered what might come next for He-Man and the inhabitants of Eternia.
“I always imagine where the life of these characters could go, and in some cases, I’ve even planned where these stories could go afterward,” he continued. “But ultimately, these decisions are not up to me. They’re up to the world, and we’ll see where we go.”
Of course, the film itself left plenty of doors open. The post-credits scenes teased the arrival of She-Ra, He-Man’s long-lost twin sister, and the potential return of Jared Leto’s Skeletor (read our review). Knight has previously expressed interest in exploring both characters further, but those teases came before the movie’s disappointing theatrical run.
Starring Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man, alongside Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, and Alison Brie, “Masters Of The Universe” was originally positioned as a major theatrical franchise launch for Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel. Instead, its financial performance left the property’s big-screen future uncertain. But its strong streaming debut complicates the picture, particularly for a film that Amazon already controls on its own platform.
For now, Knight isn’t promising anything, and no sequel has been announced. But he certainly doesn’t sound opposed to returning to Eternia. Whether those streaming numbers are enough to convince Amazon MGM to give He-Man another shot remains to be seen. The creative possibilities are clearly there; the business case is another matter.
“Masters Of The Universe” is currently streaming on Prime Video. Watch our full conversation with Travis Knight below.
—Additional reporting by Mike DeAngelo.
