English actor Nicholas Galitzine has been cast as He-Man in Masters of the Universe, a live-action adaptation of the Mattel toy franchise.
Deadline reports that Galitzine will be continuing his collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios. The actor, originally from Hammersmith in London, has previously starred in the Prime Video romcoms Red, White & Royal Blue (2023) and The Idea of You (2024). Galitzine has also starred in The Craft: Legacy (2020) and Bottoms (2023).
Sharing the news on Instagram, Galitzine said he is “beyond proud” and that “it has been a dream for so long to play someone of his heart, humour and heroism, I cannot wait to get started.”
Nicholas Galitzine to star as He-Man in the upcoming live-action ‘MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE' movie. pic.twitter.com/3l8C4KOIhf
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 29, 2024
Amazon will produce the film alongside Mattel Films, the studio behind Barbie (2023).
LAIKA Studios President and CEO Travis Knight is set to direct the film. Knight has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature three times, for The Boxtrolls (2014), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) and Missing Link (2019). He also directed the Transformers film Bumblebee (2018).
Plot details for Masters of the Universe have not been disclosed. However, the franchise has historically focused on the conflict between the heroic, muscular He-Man and his arch nemesis Skeletor.
The Masters of the Universe franchise debuted in 1982 as a collection of Mattel action figures. This was followed by the animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-1985). More recently, Netflix released two adult-orientated animated series; Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021) and Masters of the Universe: Revolution (2024). The streaming service also developed She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018-2020) and the CGI series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021-2022). Many comics, games, and other tie-in media have also been released.
The film is currently scheduled for a 5th June 2026 theatrical release.
