The long-in-development “Masters of the Universe” film looks like it’s getting closer than ever to becoming a reality. According to Variety, Sony has signed Aaron and Adam Nee to direct the sci-fi/fantasy film based on the popular ‘80s cartoon and toy line.
“Masters of the Universe,” aka “The He-Man Cartoon,” follows the story of He-Man as he defends the land of Eternia from the evil Skeletor. The cartoon was actually adapted for the big screen once already, in 1987. However, that film pretty much ditched everything about the cartoon that made it popular and included an alien version of the keytar as the MacGuffin. It’s one of the more dated ‘80s films but does have a couple bright spots, including Frank Langella’s Skeletor.
The new film is written by David Goyer, who has previously written “The Dark Knight” trilogy, as well as “Man of Steel” and “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.” These genre films are right up his alley, for sure. Variety reports that Goyer had originally wanted to helm the film himself, but passed due to scheduling difficulties. However, he’ll stay on board and be heavily involved in the production.
The Nee Brothers are the least known element of this announcement. The indie directors are best known for their films “The Last Romantic” and “Band of Robbers.” The latter of which is a film featuring Mark Twain’s classic characters Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, but as adults in the modern day. Clearly, this is a massive step up for the directing duo that has stayed in the independent film space for their entire careers.
“Masters of the Universe” was announced to have a December 18, 2019 release date, however you can expect that to change. That date directly conflicts with “Star Wars: Episode IX,” and it’s obvious that Disney isn’t going to budge. So, if Sony wants this film to be the launch of a franchise, they’ll need to pick a realistic release date.