“I’ll be back!” Skeletor promised in the post-credits scene of Cannon’s 1987 live-action adaptation of Masters of the Universe, which never saw that assumed sequel. 30 years later however, his threat becomes real, with the announcement back in April of Sony’s plan to bring the mighty He-Man (played in ‘87 by Dolph Lundgren) back to the screen for a fresh adap of the classic ‘80s cartoon.
The Dark Knight trilogy writer David S. Goyer penned the script and for a while, Terminator Salvation director McG was looking set to helm the reboot. Now though, The Wrap are reporting that Goyer (whose directorial credits include Blade: Trinity and The Unborn) will step into the director’s chair.
Masters of the Universe began life as a Mattel toy line before being turned into a cartoon in 1983. While undeniably silly and cheap-looking, the movie holds a special place in the hearts of many a thirty-something (this one very much included), although it’s hard to know where to pitch our expectations for the new film. The material surely demands a certain level of camp, which I’m unsure Goyer can deliver. Does he “have the power”, one could ask. Sorry.
Time will tell, and Sony have set a release date of December 18th, 2019.
Words: Kevan Farrow (@KevanX)