After nearly 35 years, a new live-action Masters of the Universe movie is finally moving forward. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has acquired the rights to release a Masters of the Universe film from Sony Pictures, which previously held the rights from Mattel. And with that announcement came word that Kyle Allen has been cast as the new live-action He-Man, a role previously played by Dolph Lundgren in the Masters of the Universe film from 1987.
Allen replaces Noah Centineo, who was cast as He-Man in 2019 before stepping away from the project in April 2020. Allen’s most prominent credits are his leading role in The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, as well as a supporting part in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake. He also had a recurring role on FX’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse, and he will play Romeo in the upcoming film Rosaline.
He-Man was created for Mattel’s Masters of the Universe toy line in 1981, and the franchise rose to prominence in 1983 with the animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Within the lore of the show, He-Man is the alter ego of Prince Adam of Eternia. Although Adam’s family is unaware of his heroics, he was chosen by the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull to defend Eternia from the evil forces of Skeletor.
Netflix has been circling the live-action Masters of the Universe reboot since 2019. In 2021, Netflix debuted two He-Man related projects: Masters of the Universe: Revelation and a CGI reboot of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe; which has a second season coming to Netflix on March 3.
Aaron and Adam Nee are slated to direct Netflix’s live-action Masters of the Universe, and they are co-writing the script with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings scribe Dave Callaham. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, DeVon Franklin, Robbie Brenner, and Kevin McKeon are executive producing the film.
The new Masters of the Universe movie will begin production later this year. A release date has not been officially announced.
