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He‑Man Returns to Cinemas in High‑Budget Reboot

Amazon MGM’s 1980s‑styled reboot leans on nostalgia, earning applause for its visuals and soundtrack, criticism for a thin, uneven story and broad commercial stakes for the studio

Overview

  • The new live‑action Masters of the Universe opened in cinemas on Thursday and stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He‑Man with Jared Leto as Skeletor, Idris Elba as Man‑at‑Arms and Camila Mendes as Teela.
  • Directed by Travis Knight and produced by Amazon MGM, the film finished a long, stalled development process and was reported to have a roughly $200 million production scale, making its box‑office performance commercially important for the studio.
  • Reviewers commonly praise the film’s loud, colorful production design and 1980s‑tinged soundtrack, noting contributions such as a title track by The Darkness and a guitar solo by Brian May.
  • Critics also say the movie’s tone is uneven and the story is thin, with some performances and early Earth‑set scenes singled out as weaker elements in otherwise entertaining spectacle.
  • Nicholas Galitzine’s intensive physical prep for the role, including a high‑calorie training regimen, has been a focus of promotion and he has said he plans to change his physique after the film, illustrating the personal toll and publicity tied to star transformations for blockbuster roles.