Travis Knight to direct Masters of the Universe, scheduled for 2026 release

The live-action movie adaptation of Masters of the Universe series is moving forward at Amazon MGM Studios with Travis Knight coming aboard to direct the project.

According to Variety, Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films have set the project for worldwide theatrical release on June 5, 2026.

Masters of the Universe is based on Mattel's famous toy line that spawned a successful animated TV series (1983-85) as well as a 1987 film.

According to its official synopsis, Masters of the Universe introduces a 10-year-old Prince Adam, who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword — the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe!”

The script of the film is written by Chris Butler. Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner, and Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are producing.

Masters of the Universe brand was initially introduced back in 1982 where many action figures were released. It was followed by an animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in 1983. The live-action Masters of the Universe movie has long been in development with Sony first helming the project which then moved to Netflix. In July 2023, it was revealed that the streamer was no longer attached to the project after $30 million was spent on it. Amazon MGM and Mattel then onboarded to back it.