Back in March, we got a glimpse of what was believed to be some concept art from the Masters of the Universe movie that’s been in the works for quite a few years now. Now comes word that the project has acquired another screenwriter to keep it rolling along — someone whose work is well known to fans of Marvel’s movie and television universes.
According to Variety, Thor: The Dark World screenwriter Christopher Yost has been tapped to rewrite the existing draft of the Masters of the Universe script. The upcoming film is intended to kick off a new franchise for Columbia Pictures based on the popular Mattel toy line, which features the powerful warrior He-Man and his adventures in the magical land of Eternia, which he protects from evil forces led by his arch enemy, Skeletor.
Yost has a long list of credits writing for various animated series and features, including the Wolverine and the X-Men and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes series, as well as many other projects based on Marvel Comics properties. The 2013 sequel Thor: The Dark World was his first live-action feature, and the success of that film prompted Marvel to have him join the writing team for the follow-up film, 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.
Debuting in 1982, the Masters of the Universe toy line has been the subject of several animated series over the years, as well as a 1987 live-action film that cast Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and co-starred Frank Langella (as Skeletor) and Courteney Cox. The film failed to win over critics or general audiences, and plans for a sequel were subsequently scrapped.
Prior to Yost joining the Masters of the Universe creative team, the project had gone through several iterations of writing and directing teams. G.I. Joe: Retaliation director Jon M. Chu was initially attached to direct the film, only to exit as development dragged on and competing projects lined up. Earlier this year, Kick-Ass 2 writer Jeff Wadlow reportedly completed a draft of the script, and was rumored to be a contender to direct the feature as well. Pirates of the Caribbean screenwriter Terry Rossio also penned an early draft of the script.
There’s currently no official timetable for the Masters of the Universe movie.
