Nicholas Galitzine Confirmed as the New He-Man as ‘Masters of the Universe’ Crawls Out of Development Hell
Attention He-Man fans! According to reports, the long-delayed Masters of the Universe is finally coming to theaters on June 5, 2026, with Nicholas Galitzine tasked with portraying the “most powerful man in the universe.”
The project is helmed by Amazon Studios and Mattel, who clearly want to build on the success Barbie enjoyed in 2023, as the message Hollywood continues to take away from that film is, inexplicably, “more toy-based movies.” Travis Knight (Bumblebee) is attached to direct, with Chris Butler providing the script for the action-fantasy film. Nothing is known about the plot yet, and Galitzine is the only actor confirmed as a cast member.
Galitzine has been a Prime Video regular during the last few years, dishing out hit rom-coms like the Anna Hathaway-starrer The Idea of You and queer flick Red, White & Royal Blue. Julie Rapaport, head of film production and development at Amazon MGM Studios, made her excitement known about the prospect of the English actor playing the coveted role:
We’re thrilled to bring the beloved Masters of the Universe to life and couldn’t be more excited to announce the immensely talented Nicholas Galitzine as our He-Man.
The project has been in development hell for nearly two decades now, as a result of multiple studios playing hot potato with it over the years. Warner Bros. and Sony were initially attached to it, after which Netflix took over and eventually passed on the project, citing issues related to the budget.
A slew of directors have been linked with making Masters of the Universe over the years: McG (Charlie’s Angels), directing duo Aaron and Adam Nee (The Lost City), John M. Chu (Wicked), and John Stevenson (Kung Fu Panda). As of January 2022, Kyle Allen (The Map of Tiny Perfect Things) was the frontrunner to play the blond superhero, and it remains unclear why the talks fell through. David Callaham and the Nee Brothers have worked on earlier drafts of the story.
Mattel Films is full-steam ahead on their odd reading of Barbie’s success. Wishbone, American Girl, Bob the Builder, Hot Wheels, Thomas & Friends, UNO, Magic 8-Ball, Polly Pocket, and Barney are just some of the IPs they are looking to cash in on, with more projects likely to follow.
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