MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE CinemaCon Footage Reveals Cartoon Accurate Character Designs
While at CinemaCon we got a surprise blast of He-Man nostalgia when Amazon MGM Studios unveiled early footage from its upcoming Masters of the Universe movie.
A behind the scenes look at the film was shared at the event and it teased the tone, look, and scale director Travis Knight is going for. The movie looks like its aiming to be the definitive live-action take on the franchise and it was enough to stir up excitement, especially for longtime fans of the franchise.
The sizzle reel showed off practical sets, vibrant costumes, and lead actor Nicholas Galitzine stepping into full-on He-Man mode. One particular shot sees Galitzine in the iconic costume and sporting the unmistakable haircut.
And yes, the classic line “By the power of Grayskull!” rang through the room. The behind the scenes preview showcased some hefty world-building, with sets that reportedly recreate key locations from Eternia.
All of the characters including Teela, Man-at-Arms, Skeletor, LockJaw, Goat-Man and more are straight out of the '80s cartoon series! They were brought to life with surprisingly faithful costumes and character designs.
The sets are massive and the film will blend practical design with VFX to capture the high fantasy look of Eternia.
A behind the scenes moment showed He-Man’s iconic sword while director Travis Knight reflected on his childhood connection to the toys, sharing that his love for Masters of the Universe dates back to "pretty much [his] entire life," adding that he "lived and breathed" the story (going so far as to rock He-Man's haircut for a time).
We also catch flashes of Camila Mendes doing wire stunts, Galitzine in full sword-swinging mode, and Jared Leto’s Skeletor hooded, hulking, and blue-skinned, though his face remains hidden for now.
The footage ends with a shot of He-Man’s hair blowing in the wind like in a shampoo commercial.
Producer Jason Blumenthal summed up the ambition behind the project: “It’s the rebirth of this incredible world… the scale is massive. We’re not making a cartoon here, we’re making a live action fantasy film.”
That scale seems legit. Between the enormous sets and the attention to detail in costumes and props. But, a big portion of the film will still be set on Earth, which I still think is a big mistake.
It’s too early to judge the film, but if what was shown is any indication, Masters of the Universe is shaping up to, at least, be visually cool. It feels like a genuine effort is being made bring He-Man and his world to life in a way that respects the source material, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Watch out reaction video to the footage here!