We’re about to get the second attempt at a live-action adaptation of the popular 80s fantasy action show, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. But back in 1987, the notorious Cannon Films studio attempted to break into big blockbuster filmmaking with the first live-action version. Masters of the Universe had a pretty inspired cast with Dolph Lundgren as the hulking Eternia warrior, He-Man, and Frank Langella going full-on Shakespearean performance as the evil Skeletor. While the production sank the studio and the end product became a flop, the movie gained a cult following over the years.
Now, the Dawn of the Discs account on Facebook is reporting on an upcoming 4K remaster of Masters of the Universe that is set to be released on Blu-ray from a distributor called Toy Robot Video. The physical release will have two discs — with one disc featuring the theatrical release of the movie and the other disc containing a recently uncovered extended “Preview Cut” of the movie. This new cut will include never-before-seen footage, including new and extended scenes and alternate takes.
The special features will include:
DISC 1: THEATRICAL VERSION
DISC 2: PREVIEW VERSION
Stay tuned for more info, including the technical specs and a release date.
The new adaptation stars Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Charlotte Riley, Featuring Kristen Wiig as the voice of “Roboto” with Jared Leto and Idris Elba.
The official synopsis from Amazon MGM reads,
“In MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.”
Travis Knight, who has brought us Kubo and the Two Strings and Bumblebee, directs this film from a script by Chris Butler and Aaron Nee & Adam Nee & Dave Callaham. Aaron Nee & Adam Nee and Alex Litvak & Michael Finch are credited with coming up with the story. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Robbie Brenner, DeVon Franklin are on board the project as producers. The executive producers on the film include Ynon Kreiz, Bill Bannerman and David Bloomfield.
Masters of the Universe opens in theaters on June 5.