‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ have had an easier time battling their way out of the bowels of Snake Mountain than making their way onto the big screen. Some iteration of a live action adaptation of the 80s toy line/cartoon has been in development at various studios, with various writers and directors attached for several decades, but thus far, nothing has come of the struggle. That MAY change now that director McG is in talks to helm the project for Sony. McG is expected to rework the current script.
McG is best known for directing ‘Terminator Salvation’ (2009) and the two ‘Charlie’s Angels’ movies (2000, 2003). He also co-created and executive produced several of the most popular shows over the past decades including ‘The O.C.’, ‘Chuck’, ‘Supernatural’ and the new adaptation ‘Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments’. Obviously, McG (full name, Joseph McGinty Nichol) has an affinity for high octane action mixed with humor. Does he have the right touch to bring this swords and sorcery epic to reality at long last?
McG joins a fairly illustrious list of folks who have ALMOST made this film. Way back in 2007, John Woo was attached to direct for Warner Brothers, but the project was never greenlit. The rights then went to Sony, where Joel Silver was set to produce but the project never took off and in 2010 the rights went to Columbia, where Alex Litvak and Mike Finch were first hired to write a script with ‘Kung Fu Panda”s John Stevenson set t0 direct. In 2012, Jon M. Chu (‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’) was slated to direct and rumors swirled that original He-Man actor Dolph Lundgren would cameo as He-Man’s father King Randor. Richard Wenk was hired to pen this version of the script, but before the end of the year, Terry Rossio was stated to be taking over writing duties. In 2014, Jeff Wadlow was announced as writing and potentially directing. Then last year, Christopher Yost (‘Thor: The Dark World’, ‘Thor: Ragnarok’) was announced as penning the script.
The report stated that McG was reworking a script by Alex Litvak and Mike Finch, but unless Sony has gone back to a very old version of the script (circa 2010) or they were brought back to pen a new one, this is most likely a mistake, as Yost was the last screenwriter that was known to be attached.
Masters of the Universe, based on the mega-successful Mattel toy line graced the silver screen twice during its 80s heyday: once in 1985 in animated form, in ‘He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword’ which launched companion toy line ‘She-Ra: Princess of Power’; and in live action in the 1987 in the Gary Goddard-directed ‘Masters of the Universe’ starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor with a young Courtney Cox as Earth teenager Julie Winston. Cannon began developing a sequel to be directed by Albert Pyun, but balked at paying Mattel’s licensing fees and repurposed the sets and costumes for the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie ‘Cyborg’. (It’s true!)
Can McG do the seeming impossible? Will theaters once again be rocked by the Power of Greyskull?
Source: Coming Soon
