We admit we’re a little conflicted about the upcoming Masters of the Universe film. On the one hand, we really want to see a new big-budget He-Man movie set in Eternia with all the trappings of the ’80s animated series and toyline. On the other, we realize that such a film is a huge financial risk for the studio that makes it, and the movie bombing in theaters could set the franchise back decades. But it looks like Sony Pictures, the studio behind the upcoming reboot, may have found a loophole that could give us the best of both worlds.
According to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, Sony may skip financing theatrical distribution for Masters of the Universe altogether and instead sell the film to Netflix for a direct-to-streaming release. In doing so, Sony would remove the massive financial risk of the movie being a flop, while also still being able to put money into the film to make a quality production that fans so desperately want.
According to the report, Sony’s shift in strategy came about partly because of Men in Black: International. That movie was supposed to be a big tentpole release for the studio while also relaunching an important franchise, but it proved to be a box office bomb, likely losing Sony money. Masters of the Universe is trying to relaunch an even older franchise — one that, unlike MIB, has never had any success at the box office — so you can see why Sony is a little jittery when it comes to the film’s financial prospects.
If the Masters of the Universe reboot does end up going straight to Netflix, it could have the added bonus of having an ever bigger built-in audience thanks to star Noah Cenineo. The future He-Man’s main claim to fame is his recent breakout roles in the Netflix original films To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, and The Perfect Date, and he’s become a popular draw for the streaming giant. Wherever Masters of the Universe ends up playing, we just hope the movie gives fans the quality He-Man movie they’ve been waiting to see since the ’80s.
