By the power of Amazon! Masters of the Universe may be a certified box office flop, but a sequel to the He-Man movie can't be ruled out.
As Forbes reported, a lackluster performance at the box office isn't a death blow to Masters of the Universe.
In fact, the streamer could be poised to give the fantasy movie, an adaptation of the hit 1980s property, a sequel – and make it a jewel in the Prime Video crown on streaming. From there, it would be able to take the financial hit and prop up its service as a destination for bigger movie releases, capturing a portion of the older demographic who may not have seen it in cinemas.
Masters of the Universe, which stars Nicholas Galitzine as Adam and Jared Leto as his nemesis Skeletor, has currently generated $102 million at the box office.
Despite that, Amazon has seemed pleased with the He-Man movie from the outset – with an obvious hint at the Masters of the Universe franchise living beyond its theatrical window.
"[Director] Travis Knight and the entire cast and filmmaking team have delivered something truly special, and this opening is exactly the kind of critical first moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy – building awareness and engagement that will carry well beyond the theatrical window," said Amazon MGM's domestic distribution chief Kevin Wilson in a statement after opening weekend.
The Masters of the Universe post-credits also introduces She-Ra, providing plenty of fertile ground for a sequel should it come to pass.
Speaking to GamesRadar+, director Travis Knight revealed the after-credits reveal almost didn't happen thanks to a "complicated rights issue."
"We did that with like no money, too. That was at the end of the shoot. We were just scrambling around trying to build a set and put a costume together because we finally got the rights to do it and, I mean, she looks great," Knight said.
Masters of the Universe is now in theaters. For more, check out our picks for the best movies on Amazon Prime. Then read our verdict on He-Man's cinematic outing in the Masters of the Universe review.
