Ladies and gentleman, meet your new He Man. Amazon and Mattel have announced that Nicholas Galitzine (The Idea of You) has been cast in the lead role in the upcoming live-action Masters of the Universe movie. The project has been in development for a very long time in various forms. It is, however, finally coming together at Amazon, with a summer 2026 release date on the books. Now, the biggest piece of the puzzle has been slide into place.
Galitzine is coming off of the hit rom-com The Idea of You, which was released in Prime Video. Back when Masters of the Universe was set up at Netflix, Noah Centineo (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) had been set to take on the role. Travis Knight (Bumblebee) is directing the film. Chris Butler (Kubo and the Two Strings) is writing the screenplay. Dave Callaham, as well as duo Aaron and Adam Nee worked on previous drafts. Julie Rapaport, head of film production and development at Amazon MGM Studios, had the following to say about it.
“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. Joining forces with director Travis Knight, Mattel, and Escape Artists, this reintroduction of the character and his universe will be an epic film that will delight audiences from here to Eternia.”
Amazon is finally making Masters of the Universe happen
Plot details for the film are being kept under wraps. It has been in development for a long time, with McG set to direct a version of it around 2016. Things have changed a lot since then. This new version will be produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Robbie Brenner of Mattel Films. Brenner had the following to add in a statement.
“Mattel Films is proud to work with Amazon and team up again with the incredible Courtenay Valenti, to bring Masters of the Universe to the big screen. We are thrilled to be producing alongside the highly respected and prolific Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch, with the visionary Travis Knight, and the charismatic and talented Nicholas Galitzine, our Prince Adam/He-Man!”
Mattel’s Masters of the Universe was first introduced to the world in 1982 via a line of very popular action figures In 1983, animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe premiered. It quickly became a hit, with the franchise now spanning across toys, TV, video games, and more. Netflix has released several shows in recent years, including Masters of the Universe: Revolution most recently.
Masters of the Universe is set to hit theaters on June 5, 2026.
What do you think? Are you excited about the movie? Do you dig the casting? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!