The Masters of the Universe movie has found its directors. Variety reports that Mattel and Sony Entertainment have tapped the Nee Brothers to direct the upcoming live-action film.
The movie will be based on Mattel’s well-known Masters of the Universe toy line, which became a pop culture icon in the 1980s. The action figures eventually made the move to the small screen with a popular cartoon series which ran from 1983-1985. The animated series was followed up with a live-action film in 1987.
The Masters of the Universe, for those who managed to miss the craze during the 1980s, followed the adventures of the magical warrior He-Man as he protects the land of Eternia from the evil sorcerer Skeletor. The live-action movie was widely panned, but the cartoon series and action figures have a devoted fanbase to this day.
The film’s plot and actors haven’t been announced, but it will be written in part by David Goyer, who is also an executive producer. He was originally considered for the role of director but passed due to prior commitments. Sources say he is still deeply involved in the movie’s production.
The Nee brothers are best known for their 2015 indie movie Band of Robbers, which was highly received by critics and helped establish the duo in Hollywood. This will be one of their first projects working alongside a major studio like Sony.
While much of the film’s details remain unknown, we do know that Matt Milam will be overseeing the movie’s production for Sony. Additionally, He-Man fans don’t have to wait too long to see it for themselves, as Sony has announced that the movie will be released in 2019.
The movie has been in the works for some time now and there were rumors that it had been condemned to production limbo. Sony reportedly still views the property as one worth investing in, so hopefully there will be no more delays.
While He-Man mania may be a thing of the past, the past several years have seen a surge in nostalgic properties from the ’80s and ’90s. Among the most successful of these movies, at least from a box office perspective, has been the Hasbro’s Transformers series. We’ve also seen reboots of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jumanji, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers franchises.
