the Masters of the universe Monday night’s Los Angeles premiere brought together He-Men old and new, with Dolph Lundgren, who starred in the 1987 novel, on hand to support newcomer Nicholas Galitzine.
He-Man and the rest of the Masters of the Universe gang originated as a toy line for Mattel in the 1980s, which later became an animated series followed by Lundgren’s live-action film. For the past 20 years or so, Mattel has been working to bring a new version to life, which has finally arrived thanks to Galitzine and director Travis Knight. The film follows Prince Adam Glenn (aka He-Man), raised on the safety of Earth, as he travels back to his home planet of Eternia only to discover that it has been destroyed and overrun by the powerful warlord Skeletor (played by Jared Leto).
Lundgren admitted that after several previous attempts at a He-Man reboot had never materialized, he didn’t believe this adaptation would happen, “but when I heard it was real and realized it was a big-budget movie, I looked at the script and it seemed very interesting, like a really serious attempt to bring this character to life and all the complexities of this universe. There’s a charm to it that many other superhero movies may or may not have, but I think Masters He has this kind of charm, this kind of sensitivity.
He also expressed his support for Galitzine taking on the superhero role, noting, “You need a leading man type guy, and the muscles and strength are secondary. You can always create that and I think Nicholas did that, he built himself up. When I did that, it was like I had the physique and I had to access my boyish side to find the character.” Lundgren also teased the new film, “I heard I might be in it,” in a cameo as a mentor character.
Galitzine, known for his roles in 2024 The idea of you And 2023 Red, white and royal blueHe’s already gone through a major transformation for this part, training for months to gain muscles fit for the Strongest Man in the Universe. With the material’s signature sense of humor and camp, the star said, “It was like playing two characters because you play the archetypal stoic hero in a sense, but you also play this guy who literally shrinks in on himself.”
Transforming into He-Man also meant learning how to use his signature power sword, which Galitzen admitted wasn’t as easy as it might seem. “You want to look like you’re the strongest man in the universe, so it’s like, what forearm exercises should I do so I don’t look heavy?” He said jokingly. “As someone who grew up watching Lord of the Rings and star warsI was a kid in a candy store, going to work and playing with swords all day.
Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, Morena Baccarin, and Kristen Wiig are also in the cast, with Leto playing the main villain — a role he chased himself, as it turns out.
Mattel Studios president Robbie Brenner revealed that Leto “really wanted to play Skeletor. He tracked down Travis, and said, ‘I have a special connection to this character, I grew up watching him.'” Masters of the universe I am a skeleton. So he went and met Travis and Travis met him and he was like, “He’s a skeleton,” that’s all. Knight confirmed that Leto — who did not attend the premiere and apparently did not give a promo for the film — gave him the full show and brought the humor and real scares to the skull-faced wizard.
Masters of the universe It hits theaters on June 5.
