Netflix’s live-action MASTERS OF UNIVERSE is dead

The live-action adaptation of Masters of the Universe I just can’t catch a break! The filmmakers and studios have been trying to make this movie for years, and well…it always seems to fall apart. This latest attempt was organized on Netflix with The Nee Brothers (The lost city, gang of thieves) set to direct and Kyle Allen intended to play the role of He-Man.

According to Variety, the streaming service has already spent $30 million in development costs and the money that has been shelled out to keep talent. “Other informed sources put the overall costs for the development in the double digits.”

A Mattel spokesperson confirmed that “Masters of the Universe is no longer on Netflix,” but did not provide further comment. A Netflix spokesperson also declined to comment. The report states that one of the reasons behind the film’s scrapping is that “the streamer refused to fork over $150 million to see up-and-coming Allen (American Horror Story, An obsession in Venice) collect He-Man’s sword.

This whole decision was factored into the budget and the directors and producers tried to lower the budget and even considered making two movies at the same time. But Netflix and the filmmakers couldn’t compromise. The fact that Netflix bailed out the project is a big clue to what the streaming industry is like. They used to throw money at big franchise film projects, they used to take risks too, but now they’re playing it safe with a franchise that has a built-in audience and fan base.

The Nee brothers, who established themselves as directors on Sandra Bullock’s romantic comedy “The Lost City,” worked with producers like Mattel’s Todd Black and Robbie Brenner to cut the budget, including as significant pre-production on the film. took place. The producers brought a proposed $180 million budget back on the table, and Netflix still balked, never giving the film an official green light. A source familiar with the budget talks said the final figure included costs spent on development. Netflix and the filmmakers have even considered shooting “Masters of the Universe” and a proposed sequel simultaneously to amortize the expense, they added. Several parties have said that the streamer is in love with the director’s brothers, but has failed to reach a middle ground.

The story would have centered on “an orphan named Adam who discovers he is a prince destined to be the savior of a distant land. He must quickly learn its power and the importance of saving his true home from an evil force” .

Director Aaron Nee previously shared that they wanted to keep things as wild and crazy as the original animated series, and compared the movie they’re making to Marvel’s. Thor: Ragnarok. He said:

“It’s a wild and crazy property, and we wanted to keep it wild and crazy. Like, you just had wacky characters, but what we also wanted to keep is that, what it was like to experience those toys and cartoons as kids. ‘we took it completely seriously, and trying to tap into, what did it make us feel then? amazing worlds that you can encounter and so we want that wilderness, but also the kind of reverence and love for it, with which we have seen it through the filter of our child’s eyes.

“Those things [Masters of the Universe properties] they weren’t just huge successes thanks to clever marketing or something. He was tapping into something primal, something fundamental about us as children. It doesn’t matter if the creators did it by accident or by genius. He was tapping into something. And that’s what we’re trying to hold on to, what was that spark inside of us, as kids? And so, we want, at its core, that very basic human connection that we felt while not saying, ‘Well, we’re adults now. So we can’t really have a character called Ram-Man, we can’t really have Fisto.’ Instead, it’s like, ‘No, we’ll have it.’ How do you go through all that craziness and madness, but do it with love and affection?”

Director Adam Nee went on to compare the film’s tone to Thor: Ragnarok, which was completely insane, but in a good way.

Producer Todd Black (Fences, The Equalizer) tried to find a new buyer for Masters of the Universe, and even brought it on to Universal Pictures, which passed on the project. If Barbie does well at the box office next weekend, perhaps there will be a better chance of finding a studio to partner with them.

Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz also extolled the value of the property saying, “It’s as big as Marvel and DC. That’s hundreds of pages of characters, sorcerers, vehicles, and weapons—you name it. And then you flip through the pages, and there’s a movie, and there’s a movie, and there’s a TV show. . . . it’s infinite!”

Really! The fact that no one has managed to get a Masters of the Universe movie off the ground after all these years is crazy to me! There is a huge fantasy universe to play with and build upon! I know what I would do with ownership, but I don’t know if the current team has the fantastic vision of what the franchise could be. We may never know if they can’t find a new studio to partner with!

Even if they’ve managed to partner with a new studio, with the actor’s and writer’s strike, it’s not like they’ll be able to do so anytime soon.

While I’d love to see a great He-Man movie made, I’d much rather see it made for the big screen instead of a streaming service like Netflix, so maybe that’s a blessing in disguise.