Amazon MGM Studios’ and Mattel have cast Nicholas Galitzine (The Idea of You, Red, White, & Royal Blue) to star as He-Man in their upcoming live-action Masters of the Universe movie.
Galitzine was revealed to be joining the long-in-development film adaptation today, which will be directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings, Bumblebee). No plot details have been revealed, but the project is still expected to arrive in 2026.
“We’re thrilled to bring the beloved Masters of the Universe to life and couldn’t be more excited to announce the immensely talented Nicholas Galitzine as our He-Man,” head of film production and development at Amazon MGM Studios Julie Rapaport said in a statement. “Joining forces with director Travis Knight, Mattel, and Escape Artists, this reintroduction of the character and his universe will be an epic film that will delight audiences from here to Eternia.”
Chris Butler is writing the screenplay (its original draft was handled by David Callaham along with Aaron and Adam Nee). Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch are on the team as producers, as is Mattel Films president Robbie Brenner.
“Mattel Films is proud to work with Amazon and team up again with the incredible Courtenay Valenti, to bring Masters of the Universe to the big screen,” Brenner said. “We are thrilled to be producing alongside the highly respected and prolific Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch, with the visionary Travis Knight, and the charismatic and talented Nicholas Galitzine, our Prince Adam/He-Man!”
A live-action Masters of the Universe movie has been in the works with various directors and stars throughout the last decade. Some names said to be attached at one point or another include Kick-Ass 2 director Jeff Wadlow, The Dark Knight’s David S. Goyer, and Terminator Salvation’s McG. Galitzine isn’t the first name tapped to play Prince Adam either, as actors like Noah Centineo, Kyle Allen, and Kellan Lutz were all attached at one point.
It was also pinned to arrive on Netflix before the streaming giant eventually decided to drop the project. Word that it would move to Amazon arrived late last year. Knight was said to be in talks in February.
While Mattel has taken years to get its He-Man movie off the ground, the toy company has played with bringing some of its other properties to theaters. Most notable is Barbie, which rocked the film world when director Greta Gerwig brought it to audiences last year. Another adaptation said to be in the works will see Jennifer Lopez and Anthony Ramos eventually bringing Bob the Builder to the big screen.
Masters of the Universe is still set to slam into theaters on its previously announced release date of June 5, 2026. For more, you can check out the Masters of the Universe Castle Grayskull set that was revealed in 2020.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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