‘Masters of the Universe’ Director is ‘Laser-Focused’ on the Reboot

With nearly every Saturday morning cartoon or popular line of toys from the ’80s finding their way to a theater near you, the ones that haven’t quite yet made the leap to the big screen are starting to stand out. Take Masters of the Universe. Our own coverage of the film dates all the way back to 2012, but in that time, Sony has barely made progress on its big-screen reboot.

Thankfully for fans of Masters of the Universe, it looks like that’s about to change. Yesterday, IGN spoke with director McG on the status of the long-gestating project and his own enthusiasm for He-Man and company.

It’s a very exciting moment for Masters of the Universe. We have a big meeting with Sony regarding prep of the movie on Wednesday. And we’re in the middle of a bit of a script polish, and it’s my absolute passion. I’m laser-focused on that being my next film.

Over the course of the interview, McG discusses the current state of the reboot, the tone they are looking to strike and, perhaps most importantly for fans of the show, the ongoing rumors that actor Kellan Lutz is the frontrunner to play He-Man.

We haven’t cast the role yet, but I like Kellan very much. Obviously, we need a talented entertainer, but we also need a certain physicality, which he embodies. He’ll be considered very, very closely. We haven’t gotten to the casting process yet. Kellan’s a good guy, and we had a great meeting, and he’s passionate about He-Man, he’s passionate about the Adam story. He really knows a lot about it.

There’s a lot to unpack in the interview and more than a few times where McG’s enthusiasm seems to get the better of him. One funny thing worth mentioning? McG really, really likes to use the word ‘cognizant.’

We also need to be cognizant of the incredible resonance of what Kevin Feige is doing with Marvel … we’re all cognizant of what’s going on with Game of Thrones … We’re cognizant of what’s going on in Guardians of the Galaxy.

While McG speaks passionately of the Masters of the Universe lore  —  he even has a few nice things to say about the 1987 film starring Dolph Lundgren  —  my initial impression is that McG is trying to please too many people. You cannot possibly have a version of Masters of the Universe that follows in the footsteps of the original animated series and the Marvel Cinematic Universe and HBO’s Game of Thrones. What made each of these adaptations popular was their dedication to finding a tone and aesthetic that balanced the original property with television and film. If McG and his team try too hard to be all things to all fandoms, we may end up in the awkward scenario of referring to Lungren’s version as “the good one.”