SerpApi.Org
Despite failing to seize the power of the box office, the latest live-action take on Masters of the Universe has its fair share of fans. With generally positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, the fantasy adventure reboot managed to mostly impress those who saw it on the big screen. Now, the film is headed to streaming after a disappointing theatrical run, giving it a second chance at success.
Prime Video has announced that Masters of the Universe will be available to stream on the platform starting Jul. 22. The film is skipping the usual digital release rollout for a straight-to-streaming debut, a strategy likely meant to boost viewership numbers once it arrives this week. Masters of the Universe first hit theaters on Jun. 5, making it a 47-day theatrical window before home release, which is actually surprising considering its lack of financial success. Nevertheless, the early adventures of He-Man are now officially to Prime Video before digital and Blu-ray, both of which are expected to be announced in the near future.
Based on the iconic '80s franchise of the same name, Masters of the Universe follows Nicholas Galitzine as Adam, the Prince of Eternia, who finally returns to his home world after spending most of his life on Earth. His homecoming becomes a battle of good versus evil as he is joined by the likes of Teela and Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba) in the fight against the current ruler of Eternia, Skeletor (Jared Leto). Directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee), the film is a love letter to the material while updating it for modern audiences with blockbuster action and humor.
Masters of the Universe finished its global box office run with $113 million, falling well short of its reported $170 million production budget (excluding marketing costs). While it is considered a box office bomb, most critics still rated the film favorably, garnering a 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score is higher at 86% on the review aggregate website, but the disappointing B Cinema Score does align with the lack of noise at the box office. Still, it will be interesting to see if more audiences evaluate Masters of the Universe positively once it debuts exclusively on streaming this Wednesday.
As of this writing, Amazon MGM Studios has not confirmed if Masters of the Universe is getting a sequel or not. Of course, considering the disappointing box office run, a follow-up may seem far away from reality. However, Amazon recently experienced a similar situation with Red One, the Dwayne Johnson-led holiday action effort that failed to recoup its budget during its theatrical run but broke several streaming records upon its Prime Video debut. Could massive streaming numbers for Masters of the Universe be enough to warrant a sequel? It's too early to know for sure, but it is telling that Amazon is wasting no time in putting it on one of the biggest streamers on the market.
