Masters of the Universe (film)
Encyclopedia
Masters of the Universe is a 1987 science-fiction fantasy film based on the toy line by the same name
. The movie stars Dolph Lundgren
as He-Man
and Frank Langella
as Skeletor
. Other actors include Jon Cypher
as Man-At-Arms
, Chelsea Field as Teela
, Billy Barty
as Gwildor
, and Courteney Cox
.
The film was released in the United States
on August 7, 1987 after the popularity of the toy line and cartoon
had peaked.
, at the center of the Universe, the forces of Skeletor
(Frank Langella
) have managed to seize control over Castle Grayskull
, and after defeating (off-screen) the biggest part of Eternia's armies, capture the Sorceress of Grayskull
(Christina Pickles
). Skeletor is planning to exploit Grayskull's hidden powers when the "Great Eye of the Galaxy", a portal in the castle's throne room, opens and Eternia's moon is correctly aligned with it.
The remaining Eternian forces are scattered and outnumbered. One of Skeletor's patrols is attacked by Eternia's greatest warrior and Skeletor's archenemy, He-Man
(Dolph Lundgren
), veteran soldier Man-At-Arms
(Jon Cypher
) and his daughter Teela
(Chelsea Field). During the battle, He-Man rescues a Thenorian inventor/locksmith named Gwildor
(Billy Barty
), who reveals to his rescuers his newest invention: a "Cosmic Key", which can open a portal to any location in time and space. Skeletor stole the Key from him and used it to get into Castle Grayskull, but Gwildor managed to keep the prototype. Gwildor leads the others into a secret passageway straight to the Castle before a field commander of Skeletor's armies named Karg can storm the Thenorian's house.
At Grayskull, the group is surrounded by Skeletor and his troops. Gwildor uses his key to open a random gateway through which the group escapes to Earth, but on arriving there, the key is lost and the Eternians split up to find it. Nearby, in the village of Whittier, California
, two teenagers, Julie Winston (Courteney Cox
) and Kevin Corrigan (Robert Duncan McNeill
), discover the Key in a crater, and start pressing its buttons. Back at Grayskull, Skeletor's second-in-command, Evil-Lyn
(Meg Foster
), tracks the Key to Earth and prepares a small team of mercenaries to recover it. They consist of Saurod, Blade, and Beastman
, with Karg appointed as their leader.
Back in Whittier, Kevin and Julie are spending their last evening together at their high school, because Julie is moving away following the death of her parents in a plane crash. Curious about the Key's origins, Kevin, an aspiring musician, mistakes the object for a Japanese synthesizer
, and takes it to a friend at a local music store to get a second opinion. At that moment, however, a portal opens, with Skeletor's mercenaries storming into the gym. A fearful Julie narrowly escapes and stumbles into He-Man. He-Man attacks the accompanying troops and saves Julie, while Man-At-Arms and Teela chase the mercenaries away. Upon their return to Grayskull, Skeletor is infuriated by the mercenaries' failure and kills Saurod. He then sends them back to Earth with a larger force under the command of Evil-Lyn.
Kevin returns to the school, which has nearly been burned down as a result of the melee. The detective on scene, Lubic (James Tolkan
), takes Kevin to Julie's house to look for her. Over the phone, Julie reveals to Kevin the importance of the Cosmic Key, but Lubic confiscates it, suspecting it to be stolen. Immediately afterwards, Evil-Lyn captures and interrogates Kevin, then leaves to acquire the Key from Lubic. Julie, along with He-Man and his comrades, meets up with Kevin and then proceeds to the music store, where Lubic has taken the Key for expert analysis. Lubic suspects the Eternians to be responsible for the attack at the school and attempts to arrest them and Gwildor, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Evil-Lyn and her troops. A battle ensues, during which Evil-Lyn, masquerading as Julie's dead mother (Gwynne Gilford
), persuades her to steal the Key. Julie acquires it, and Evil-Lyn subsequently uses the Key's powers to open another doorway through which Skeletor arrives on Earth.
He-Man manages to retrieve the Key from Evil-Lyn, but Skeletor captures his friends - during the course of which Julie is fatally injured by Skeletor's magic and the second Key is damaged - and threatens to kill them all unless He-Man surrenders unconditionally. He-Man gives in and returns to Eternia as Skeletor's prisoner. Gwildor tries to repair the Key, but the Key's memory storage containing a special sequences of tones needed to return to Eternia was erased. Fortunately, Kevin remembers them, and uses a modern-day keyboard to recreate the tones and open a portal. Just as the opening of the portal is underway, Lubic blunders his way into the group and is transported along with them.
On Eternia, Skeletor tortures He-Man in order to break his spirit, but He-Man resists. When the Great Eye opens, Skeletor absorbs the power absolute and transforms into an armored warrior god. He continues to try to force He-Man to submit, but is interrupted by the arrival of Kevin and Lubic, who have just arrived through the portal that they'd managed to open. He-Man is freed and reclaims his sword, absorbing the power of Grayskull once more. Now evenly matched, He-Man along with his friends engages Skeletor's forces in combat, during which he breaks Skeletor's staff, causing him to lose his newfound powers. Skeletor continues to engage He-Man with his sword, but is ultimately vanquished and sent plummeting into a deep pit.
After He-Man's victory, Julie is healed by the Sorceress. While Lubic decides to stay behind in Eternia, Julie and Kevin bid farewell to their new friends before leaving through a doorway back to Earth. When Julie awakens in her bed, she suddenly finds her parents alive and well and is able to stop them from their fateful flight. She then finds Kevin, who confirms their shared experiences were not just a dream and holds out a souvenir from Eternia: a blue, marble-sized sphere showing the image of He-Man in front of Castle Grayskull.
After the credits
, Skeletor's head pops out of the pink liquid at the bottom of the pit, with the words "I'll be back!"
(whose previous writing credits include Supergirl and The Dark Crystal
) was reviewed in episode 3 of the He-Man and She-Ra
podcast, Masters Cast. The original draft included more time spent on Eternia, Snake Mountain, Beastman had a speaking role, and even revealed that He-Man's mother was originally from Earth, thus linking the two planets.
magazine, and has a 13% "rotten" rating at Rotten Tomatoes
. The film was poorly received by critics including by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. The film earned a Razzie Award nomination for Billy Barty as Worst Supporting Actor.
's comic book
metaseries Fourth World
, stating in Comic Shop News
#497:
Director Gary Goddard clarified this in a letter appearing in John Byrne's Next Men #26, in which he stated:
Brian Cronin, author of the "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed" column, concludes that "the film itself was not intended to be literally a reworked Fourth World, although the intent WAS to make the film a tribute to Jack Kirby - just a tribute to ALL of his work, not just the Fourth World."
was abandoned when Cannon wouldn't pay for Mattel's fees and the production used the already-made costumes and sets for the low budget sci-fi movie Cyborg
.
was reportedly being developed in 2007, but despite many rumors circulating around the Internet
regarding the film's production status and casting, the project was never officially green-lit. The film rights to He-Man have reportedly since reverted back to Mattel.
In September 2009, Sony took over the rights from Warner Bros to produce the Masters of the Universe live action film after Mattel and producer Joel Silver
, who was previously involved with a potential film, couldn't agree on creative direction for the film. Sony and Escape Artists' Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch will now start developing the project from scratch for Columbia Pictures. In April 2010, Sony hired screenwriters Mike Finch and Alex Litvak to draft a new script.
Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe is a media franchise created by Mattel....
. The movie stars Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
as He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
and Frank Langella
Frank Langella
-Early life:Langella, an Italian American, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, the son of Angelina and Frank A. Langella Sr., a business executive who was the president of the Bayonne Barrel and Drum Company. Langella attended Washington Elementary School and Bayonne High School in Bayonne...
as Skeletor
Skeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
. Other actors include Jon Cypher
Jon Cypher
-Biography:Born in New York City, Cypher graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1949 and Brooklyn College in 1953. He made his television debut as the Prince in the original 1957 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella opposite Julie Andrews in the title role...
as Man-At-Arms
Man-At-Arms
Man-At-Arms is the primary title of Duncan, a fictional character in the Masters of the Universe franchise. The figure's tag-line is "Heroic Master of Weapons".-He-Man and the Masters of the Universe :...
, Chelsea Field as Teela
Teela
Teela "Warrior Goddess!" is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. She is the Captain of the Royal Guard at the palace of Eternos and thus responsible for training and protecting Prince Adam of Eternia. While Adam is He-Man, Teela often assists him in his battles, but...
, Billy Barty
Billy Barty
Billy Barty was an American film actor.-Biography:Barty, an Italian American, was born William John Bertanzetti in Millsboro, Pennsylvania...
as Gwildor
Gwildor
Gwildor is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. He was introduced into the franchise after appearing in the 1987 Masters of the Universe film.Gwildor is a member of the Thenurians, a dwarf-like race of people...
, and Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
.
The film was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on August 7, 1987 after the popularity of the toy line and cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
had peaked.
Plot
On the Planet EterniaEternia
Eternia is the name of the fictional planet that serves as a setting for the Masters of the Universe toy collection and animated series.-Origins:...
, at the center of the Universe, the forces of Skeletor
Skeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
(Frank Langella
Frank Langella
-Early life:Langella, an Italian American, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, the son of Angelina and Frank A. Langella Sr., a business executive who was the president of the Bayonne Barrel and Drum Company. Langella attended Washington Elementary School and Bayonne High School in Bayonne...
) have managed to seize control over Castle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull is a fortress located on the fictional planet Eternia. It forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe, and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation....
, and after defeating (off-screen) the biggest part of Eternia's armies, capture the Sorceress of Grayskull
Sorceress of Castle Grayskull
The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, also known as The Goddess and Teela Na, is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise.-Original MOTU mini-comics:...
(Christina Pickles
Christina Pickles
Christina Pickles is an English actress, best known for her long-running role of Nurse Helen Rosenthal in the hospital drama St. Elsewhere, for which she was nominated for four Emmys.-Life and career:...
). Skeletor is planning to exploit Grayskull's hidden powers when the "Great Eye of the Galaxy", a portal in the castle's throne room, opens and Eternia's moon is correctly aligned with it.
The remaining Eternian forces are scattered and outnumbered. One of Skeletor's patrols is attacked by Eternia's greatest warrior and Skeletor's archenemy, He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
(Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
), veteran soldier Man-At-Arms
Man-At-Arms
Man-At-Arms is the primary title of Duncan, a fictional character in the Masters of the Universe franchise. The figure's tag-line is "Heroic Master of Weapons".-He-Man and the Masters of the Universe :...
(Jon Cypher
Jon Cypher
-Biography:Born in New York City, Cypher graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1949 and Brooklyn College in 1953. He made his television debut as the Prince in the original 1957 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella opposite Julie Andrews in the title role...
) and his daughter Teela
Teela
Teela "Warrior Goddess!" is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. She is the Captain of the Royal Guard at the palace of Eternos and thus responsible for training and protecting Prince Adam of Eternia. While Adam is He-Man, Teela often assists him in his battles, but...
(Chelsea Field). During the battle, He-Man rescues a Thenorian inventor/locksmith named Gwildor
Gwildor
Gwildor is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. He was introduced into the franchise after appearing in the 1987 Masters of the Universe film.Gwildor is a member of the Thenurians, a dwarf-like race of people...
(Billy Barty
Billy Barty
Billy Barty was an American film actor.-Biography:Barty, an Italian American, was born William John Bertanzetti in Millsboro, Pennsylvania...
), who reveals to his rescuers his newest invention: a "Cosmic Key", which can open a portal to any location in time and space. Skeletor stole the Key from him and used it to get into Castle Grayskull, but Gwildor managed to keep the prototype. Gwildor leads the others into a secret passageway straight to the Castle before a field commander of Skeletor's armies named Karg can storm the Thenorian's house.
At Grayskull, the group is surrounded by Skeletor and his troops. Gwildor uses his key to open a random gateway through which the group escapes to Earth, but on arriving there, the key is lost and the Eternians split up to find it. Nearby, in the village of Whittier, California
Whittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
, two teenagers, Julie Winston (Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
) and Kevin Corrigan (Robert Duncan McNeill
Robert Duncan McNeill
Robert Duncan McNeill is an American actor, producer, movie director, and television director who is best known for his role as Lieutenant Tom Paris on the television show Star Trek: Voyager.-Acting:...
), discover the Key in a crater, and start pressing its buttons. Back at Grayskull, Skeletor's second-in-command, Evil-Lyn
Evil-Lyn
Evil-Lyn is a fictional character in the popular Masters of the Universe toy line and the accompanying cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe....
(Meg Foster
Meg Foster
Megan "Meg" Foster is an American actress best known for her roles in the TV miniseries version of The Scarlet Letter, Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend, and They Live .-Life and career:...
), tracks the Key to Earth and prepares a small team of mercenaries to recover it. They consist of Saurod, Blade, and Beastman
Beast Man
Beast Man is a fictional character in the popular toy line and cartoon series Masters of the Universe; the savage right-hand man of Skeletor, he has control over many wild creatures and has brute strength.-Figure:...
, with Karg appointed as their leader.
Back in Whittier, Kevin and Julie are spending their last evening together at their high school, because Julie is moving away following the death of her parents in a plane crash. Curious about the Key's origins, Kevin, an aspiring musician, mistakes the object for a Japanese synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, and takes it to a friend at a local music store to get a second opinion. At that moment, however, a portal opens, with Skeletor's mercenaries storming into the gym. A fearful Julie narrowly escapes and stumbles into He-Man. He-Man attacks the accompanying troops and saves Julie, while Man-At-Arms and Teela chase the mercenaries away. Upon their return to Grayskull, Skeletor is infuriated by the mercenaries' failure and kills Saurod. He then sends them back to Earth with a larger force under the command of Evil-Lyn.
Kevin returns to the school, which has nearly been burned down as a result of the melee. The detective on scene, Lubic (James Tolkan
James Tolkan
James S. Tolkan is an American actor, often cast as a strict, overbearing, bald-headed authority figure.-Personal life:He was born in Calumet, Michigan, the son of Ralph M. Tolkan, a cattle dealer, and attended the University of Iowa, Coe College, the Actors Studio and Eastern Arizona College...
), takes Kevin to Julie's house to look for her. Over the phone, Julie reveals to Kevin the importance of the Cosmic Key, but Lubic confiscates it, suspecting it to be stolen. Immediately afterwards, Evil-Lyn captures and interrogates Kevin, then leaves to acquire the Key from Lubic. Julie, along with He-Man and his comrades, meets up with Kevin and then proceeds to the music store, where Lubic has taken the Key for expert analysis. Lubic suspects the Eternians to be responsible for the attack at the school and attempts to arrest them and Gwildor, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Evil-Lyn and her troops. A battle ensues, during which Evil-Lyn, masquerading as Julie's dead mother (Gwynne Gilford
Gwynne Gilford
Gloria Gwynne Gilford is an American actress. She appeared in several television series in the 1970s and 1980s, including A New Kind of Family, The Young Lawyers and The Waverly Wonders, and had a role in the 1987 film version of Masters of the Universe.Gilford was born in Los Angeles, California,...
), persuades her to steal the Key. Julie acquires it, and Evil-Lyn subsequently uses the Key's powers to open another doorway through which Skeletor arrives on Earth.
He-Man manages to retrieve the Key from Evil-Lyn, but Skeletor captures his friends - during the course of which Julie is fatally injured by Skeletor's magic and the second Key is damaged - and threatens to kill them all unless He-Man surrenders unconditionally. He-Man gives in and returns to Eternia as Skeletor's prisoner. Gwildor tries to repair the Key, but the Key's memory storage containing a special sequences of tones needed to return to Eternia was erased. Fortunately, Kevin remembers them, and uses a modern-day keyboard to recreate the tones and open a portal. Just as the opening of the portal is underway, Lubic blunders his way into the group and is transported along with them.
On Eternia, Skeletor tortures He-Man in order to break his spirit, but He-Man resists. When the Great Eye opens, Skeletor absorbs the power absolute and transforms into an armored warrior god. He continues to try to force He-Man to submit, but is interrupted by the arrival of Kevin and Lubic, who have just arrived through the portal that they'd managed to open. He-Man is freed and reclaims his sword, absorbing the power of Grayskull once more. Now evenly matched, He-Man along with his friends engages Skeletor's forces in combat, during which he breaks Skeletor's staff, causing him to lose his newfound powers. Skeletor continues to engage He-Man with his sword, but is ultimately vanquished and sent plummeting into a deep pit.
After He-Man's victory, Julie is healed by the Sorceress. While Lubic decides to stay behind in Eternia, Julie and Kevin bid farewell to their new friends before leaving through a doorway back to Earth. When Julie awakens in her bed, she suddenly finds her parents alive and well and is able to stop them from their fateful flight. She then finds Kevin, who confirms their shared experiences were not just a dream and holds out a souvenir from Eternia: a blue, marble-sized sphere showing the image of He-Man in front of Castle Grayskull.
After the credits
Post-credits scene
A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
, Skeletor's head pops out of the pink liquid at the bottom of the pit, with the words "I'll be back!"
Production
One of the original drafts from the script by David OdellDavid Odell
David Odell is a screenwriter and film director. He was nominated in 1980 for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program for The Muppet Show alongside Jim Henson, Don Hinkley, and Jerry Juhl...
(whose previous writing credits include Supergirl and The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal is a 1982 British-American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Although marketed as a family film, it was notably darker than previous material created by them. The animatronics used in the film were considered groundbreaking. The primary concept artist was the...
) was reviewed in episode 3 of the He-Man and She-Ra
She-Ra
She-Ra is a fictional character and the heroine in the Filmation cartoon and series of toys produced by Mattel called She-Ra: Princess of Power. She is the alter ego of Princess Adora and the twin sister of He-Man. She-Ra was intended to appeal to young girls in the same way that He-Man appealed to...
podcast, Masters Cast. The original draft included more time spent on Eternia, Snake Mountain, Beastman had a speaking role, and even revealed that He-Man's mother was originally from Earth, thus linking the two planets.
Cast
- Dolph LundgrenDolph LundgrenDolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
- He-ManHe-ManHe-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam... - Frank LangellaFrank Langella-Early life:Langella, an Italian American, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, the son of Angelina and Frank A. Langella Sr., a business executive who was the president of the Bayonne Barrel and Drum Company. Langella attended Washington Elementary School and Bayonne High School in Bayonne...
- SkeletorSkeletorSkeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,... - Anthony De LongisAnthony De LongisAnthony Charles De Longis is an American actor, stuntman, and choreographer.-Career:*De Longis is well known for his recurring role during the first two seasons of the TV series Star Trek: Voyager, as First Maje Jal Culluh, leader of the Kazon-Nistrim.*A very experienced swordsman, he is also...
- Blade - Meg FosterMeg FosterMegan "Meg" Foster is an American actress best known for her roles in the TV miniseries version of The Scarlet Letter, Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend, and They Live .-Life and career:...
- Evil-LynEvil-LynEvil-Lyn is a fictional character in the popular Masters of the Universe toy line and the accompanying cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.... - Tony Carroll - Beast ManBeast ManBeast Man is a fictional character in the popular toy line and cartoon series Masters of the Universe; the savage right-hand man of Skeletor, he has control over many wild creatures and has brute strength.-Figure:...
- Chelsea Field - TeelaTeelaTeela "Warrior Goddess!" is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. She is the Captain of the Royal Guard at the palace of Eternos and thus responsible for training and protecting Prince Adam of Eternia. While Adam is He-Man, Teela often assists him in his battles, but...
- Billy BartyBilly BartyBilly Barty was an American film actor.-Biography:Barty, an Italian American, was born William John Bertanzetti in Millsboro, Pennsylvania...
- GwildorGwildorGwildor is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. He was introduced into the franchise after appearing in the 1987 Masters of the Universe film.Gwildor is a member of the Thenurians, a dwarf-like race of people... - Courteney CoxCourteney CoxCourteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
- Julia "Julie" Winston - Robert Duncan McNeillRobert Duncan McNeillRobert Duncan McNeill is an American actor, producer, movie director, and television director who is best known for his role as Lieutenant Tom Paris on the television show Star Trek: Voyager.-Acting:...
- Kevin Corrigan - Jon CypherJon Cypher-Biography:Born in New York City, Cypher graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1949 and Brooklyn College in 1953. He made his television debut as the Prince in the original 1957 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella opposite Julie Andrews in the title role...
- Man-At-ArmsMan-At-ArmsMan-At-Arms is the primary title of Duncan, a fictional character in the Masters of the Universe franchise. The figure's tag-line is "Heroic Master of Weapons".-He-Man and the Masters of the Universe :... - James TolkanJames TolkanJames S. Tolkan is an American actor, often cast as a strict, overbearing, bald-headed authority figure.-Personal life:He was born in Calumet, Michigan, the son of Ralph M. Tolkan, a cattle dealer, and attended the University of Iowa, Coe College, the Actors Studio and Eastern Arizona College...
- Detective Lubic - Christina PicklesChristina PicklesChristina Pickles is an English actress, best known for her long-running role of Nurse Helen Rosenthal in the hospital drama St. Elsewhere, for which she was nominated for four Emmys.-Life and career:...
- SorceressSorceress of Castle GrayskullThe Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, also known as The Goddess and Teela Na, is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise.-Original MOTU mini-comics:... - Pons MaarPons MaarPons Maar is an actor, artist, and puppeteer. He performed as the voice and body model for The Noid in the popular Domino's Pizza commercials of the 1980s. His first feature film as an actor was Return to Oz , where he also worked behind the scenes as a Performance Coordinator...
- Saurod - Robert TowersRobert Towers-Animated roles:* Doctor Dolittle - Various Animals* Kidd Video - Cool Cat* Pole Position - Additional Voices-Film roles:* Masters of the Universe - Karg* Switch - Mental Patient...
- Karg - Peter BrooksPeter BrooksPeter Brooks is Sterling Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature at Yale University and Andrew W. Mellon Scholar in the department of Comparative Literature and the Center for Human Values at Princeton University. He is formerly Professor in the Department of English and School of Law at the...
- Narrator
Reaction
Despite debuting at No. 3 at the box office with a budget of $22 million, the movie only grossed $17,336,370 in the U.S (This isn't taking into account Box office totals from other countries in the world) It is referred to as a "flop" by VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine, and has a 13% "rotten" rating at Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. The film was poorly received by critics including by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. The film earned a Razzie Award nomination for Billy Barty as Worst Supporting Actor.
Comparison with Jack Kirby's Fourth World
Comic book writer/artist John Byrne compared the film to Jack KirbyJack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
's comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
metaseries Fourth World
Jack Kirby's Fourth World
"The Fourth World" is the popular name given to a metaseries of interconnecting comic book titles written and drawn by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics from 1970 to 1973. The characters and concepts were later integrated into the DC Universe....
, stating in Comic Shop News
Comic Shop News
Comic Shop News is a free weekly newspaper distributed throughout comic book specialty stores. It was launched in 1987 by Cliff Biggers and Ward Batty, both of whom continue to edit it today.- History :...
#497:
Director Gary Goddard clarified this in a letter appearing in John Byrne's Next Men #26, in which he stated:
Brian Cronin, author of the "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed" column, concludes that "the film itself was not intended to be literally a reworked Fourth World, although the intent WAS to make the film a tribute to Jack Kirby - just a tribute to ALL of his work, not just the Fourth World."
Abandoned sequel
Cannon Films intended to create a sequel, which is indicated after the end credits when it is revealed that Skeletor in fact survives his fall. The low budget ($4.5 million) project that was to be directed (back to back with their aborted "Spider-Man" movie) by Albert PyunAlbert Pyun
Albert Pyun is an American film director best known for having made many low-budget B-movies and direct-to-video action films. He frequently blends kickboxing and hybrid martial arts with science fiction and dystopic or post-apocalyptic themes, which often include cyborgs...
was abandoned when Cannon wouldn't pay for Mattel's fees and the production used the already-made costumes and sets for the low budget sci-fi movie Cyborg
Cyborg (film)
Cyborg is a 1989 American martial-arts science fiction film directed by Albert Pyun. Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Gibson Rickenbacker, a mercenary who battles a group of murderous marauders led by Fender Tremolo along the East coast of the United States in a post-apocalyptic future.-Plot:A...
.
Future film projects
A new He-Man movie directed by John WooJohn Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
was reportedly being developed in 2007, but despite many rumors circulating around the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
regarding the film's production status and casting, the project was never officially green-lit. The film rights to He-Man have reportedly since reverted back to Mattel.
In September 2009, Sony took over the rights from Warner Bros to produce the Masters of the Universe live action film after Mattel and producer Joel Silver
Joel Silver
Joel Silver is an American Hollywood film producer, co-creator of the sport of Ultimate, co-founder of Dark Castle Entertainment and owner of Silver Pictures.-Life and career:...
, who was previously involved with a potential film, couldn't agree on creative direction for the film. Sony and Escape Artists' Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch will now start developing the project from scratch for Columbia Pictures. In April 2010, Sony hired screenwriters Mike Finch and Alex Litvak to draft a new script.