Video games news, releases, esports and culture — all the biggest gaming stories in one place.
After Bombing in Theaters, Amazon’s $200M Sci-Fi Epic Is a Prime Video Sensation 3 Weeks Running
Amazon MGM’s live-action Masters of the Universe has become a sustained Prime Video hit despite underperforming in cinemas, illustrating how streaming can give costly films a second chance to reach audiences. Its performance may influence whether Amazon continues the He-Man franchise, although a sequel has not been confirmed.
The film, directed by Travis Knight and starring Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam and Jared Leto as Skeletor, reportedly spent 21 days in Prime Video’s top 10. It cost about $170 million and earned $113.8 million worldwide, while receiving a 67% Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score and an 86% audience score; its post-credits scene teases She-Ra.
In short
- Masters of the Universe found streaming success after a weak cinema run.
- It spent 21 days in Prime Video’s top 10.
- A sequel remains uncertain despite a She-Ra tease.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Streaming platforms like Prime Video demonstrate genuine value in providing economic rescue for ambitious films that theatrical audiences initially rejected, allowing studios to reach millions of global viewers and recover investments. The sustained engagement—21 days in the top 10 with an 86% audience score—suggests the film genuinely resonated with viewers once it reached them through streaming, validating both the storytelling and the platform's capacity to connect creators with audiences who might never visit cinemas.
The case against
This trend risks undermining the theatrical ecosystem by reducing studios' accountability for theatrical releases. When expensive films routinely fail at the cinema but find refuge on streaming, it weakens the incentive to make films that truly work for big screens and cinema audiences. The $113.8 million theatrical return on a $170 million budget (before substantial marketing costs) represents a genuine audience rejection that perhaps should carry more weight in future production decisions rather than being subsidised away through streaming's broader economics.
Explained simply
Masters of the Universe is a science-fiction adventure based on the long-running toy and cartoon franchise about He-Man, a hero from the planet Eternia. In this live-action film, Nicholas Galitzine plays Prince Adam, who becomes He-Man, while Jared Leto plays his enemy, Skeletor.
Amazon MGM made the film for cinema release and later put it on Prime Video, Amazon’s streaming service. Its cinema takings were lower than its reported production cost, but streaming can introduce a film to viewers who did not see it in cinemas. That may matter for Amazon’s plans for the franchise, though no sequel has been confirmed.