In 2018, Netflix, DreamWorks Animation, and Mattel Studios reintroduced She-Ra in the animated series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. But now, there’s a new take on She-Ra in development at Amazon Prime Video. And for the first time, the fan-favorite warrior may be coming to a live-action show.
Variety broke the story about the She-Ra live-action series, although the project is still in a very early stage. No creative team has been put in place yet, but DreamWorks Animation will executive produce the potential series. While DreamWorks Animation also produced Princesses of Power, this will not be an adaptation of that show. Instead, Variety’s source said that it would be a new story that is separate from everything that came before it.
Sci-fi veterans Larry DiTillio and J. Michael Straczynski created the original She-Ra: Princess of Power TV series in 1985. It was a direct spinoff of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, with She-Ra as the long-lost sister of Prince Adam/He-Man. She was introduced in the theatrical movie He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword, which established her place in the mythos.
DreamWorks Animation’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power was a dramatic reinterpretation of the title character that completely separated her from any connection with He-Man. Instead, She-Ra’s human alter ego, Adora, was a willing follower of Hordak and the Horde, instead of being kidnapped from her home world. Adora eventually rebelled against Hordak and found her destiny as She-Ra while fighting against the Horde.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power was also groundbreaking for its depiction of LGBT characters and relationships, as well as more complex motivations for the main characters. That includes the villains, too, especially Catra, who straddled the line between Adora’s nemesis and her closest friend/love interest. Those were major changes to the canon that have been embraced by the current generation of fans. While Amazon Prime’s take on the story will veer from the two animated series that came before it, some elements will likely be included simply because they’ve become synonymous with She-Ra.
Amazon’s interest in She-Ra is also consistent with its focus on fantasy series. In addition to She-Ra, the streaming service has shows based on The Wheel of Time novels and The Lord of the Rings on the way.
