Amazon/MGM hit CinemaCon in Vegas with a panel that leaned heavily on their next big tentpole release, the highly anticipated Masters of the Universe. One of their biggest productions to date, the studio is clearly hoping it will score with audiences the same way Project Hail Mary did earlier this year—with that movie having already earned over half a billion dollars worldwide and on its way to an even higher gross.
Masters of the Universe stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam, aka He-Man, with him having been raised on Earth after Skeletor took over Eternia. The footage featured a ton of He-Man action, with Galitzine clearly nailing the role, along with glimpses of Camila Mendes as Teela, Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, and even Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress.
The sizzle reel opened with Adam, under arrest, being teased by the arresting cops, who call him “Highlander” thanks to him walking around with a sword. The cops are then attacked by one of Skeletor’s minions, which gives chase to Adam, who is rescued by Teela—albeit not before a familiar needle drop plays for those who know their meme culture.
One thing that’s clear from the footage is that Amazon/MGM spared no expense. Director Travis Knight has made a huge blockbuster designed for the big screen, and watching the scenes play out on the massive Coliseum screen was super impressive. It’s the Masters of the Universe movie I dreamed of seeing as a kid.
The Beekeeper 2
We also saw some footage from The Beekeeper 2, as Statham attacks Jeremy Irons’ Westwyld (with a Cybertruck!), only to end up on the same team as him (kind of) when it’s discovered that all the remaining Beekeepers have gone rogue, kidnapping the president and trying to take over the country. Everything we love about the first film is amped up here, with more bee puns and even a scene where Statham heals himself by covering himself with bees in a weird healing tube. He also uses bees to kill some bad guys. It looks like Statham and his new director, Timo Tjahjanto, are a good match.
A Colt is My Passport
We got a first look at Gareth Evans’ remake of A Colt Is My Passport, starring Sope Dirisu. It’s set in 1978 Detroit and seems to continue in the vein of his last movie, Havoc, with a major John Woo vibe, as Dirisu wields two guns like Chow Yun-Fat in The Killer. The action is wild and highly stylized, and this certainly isn’t a lower-key version of an Evans movie, with Amazon hyping it up as a major theatrical release. As someone who wishes Havoc, as flawed as it was, had some theatrical play, this is music to my ears.
How to Rob a Bank
other films, with lots of humor. It also revealed the premise, with Nicholas Hoult leading a group of viral robbers who livestream their armed heists, while being chased by John C. Reilly as a sympathetic cop and Zoë Kravitz as a cyber-hacker.
We also learn that Hoult is targeting banks run by Christian Slater’s character, with them responsible for the death of his son. Hoult also seems to get a lot of action in this one, with a fight scene in the 87North style teased. Leitch was there and said he wanted to capture the insanity of a viral YouTube video with the scale and action you expect from a theatrical film.
I Play Rocky
Sadly, of all the movies teased, the only one I’m not sold on is one of my most anticipated. I’m a MASSIVE Sylvester Stallone fan, and I was intrigued to hear Peter Farrelly was making a movie about the making of Rocky, as it’s one of the great Hollywood folk tales.
It looks like a lot of love was put into the movie, but one thing threw me—badly—Anthony Ippolito. He sure looks like a young Stallone, but the voice didn’t work for me. He sounded like he was doing a Stallone impersonation and, in my opinion, is laying it on too thick. It’s too cartoonish, but maybe it will work better in the film when it comes out later this year. We’ll see.
Which title are you most excited for? Let us know in the chat!
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed