Skeletor’s box office defeat sends He-Man film to Prime Video early
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Amazon has announced that "Masters of the Universe", director Travis Knight's live-action He-Man film, will begin streaming on Prime Video from Wednesday 22 July, arriving unusually soon after its cinema run. The move follows a disappointing box office performance, as the film failed to recoup its substantial budget despite earning largely positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.
The film took over $113 million (Box Office Mojo) against a budget of nearly $200 million, but scored 67% on Rotten Tomatoes' critic rating and 86% on its audience-voted Popcornmeter. It stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam, exiled to Oklahoma as a child after Skeletor (Jared Leto) attacked his home world of Eternia, and follows his quest to reclaim the Sword of Power. Polygon's review praised the film, and its soundtrack features contributions from Queen guitarist Brian May.
- Masters of the Universe hits Prime Video on 22 July, shortly after cinemas
- Box office takings of $113m fell well short of its $200m budget
- Film earned strong reviews despite commercial disappointment
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Masters of the Universe is a new live-action film based on He-Man, the sword-and-sorcery hero created by toy maker Mattel in the 1980s. It stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam, a young man exiled to Oklahoma after his home planet Eternia is attacked by the villain Skeletor, played by Jared Leto, and it follows his efforts to reclaim the powerful Sword of Power. The film was directed by Travis Knight and had a budget of close to $200 million.
Despite generally favourable reviews from both critics and audiences, the film struggled at the cinema box office, taking in just over $113 million worldwide, well short of what was needed to cover its costs. This gap between critical reception and commercial performance is central to why the film is now making headlines again.
Amazon, which owns the Prime Video streaming service, has decided to make the film available to stream from 22 July, considerably sooner after its cinema release than is typical for a major studio film. This matters because it reflects wider shifts in how film studios and streaming platforms respond when a costly production underperforms at the box office, often moving titles to streaming faster to recoup investment and reach audiences directly.
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Originally published by Polygon as “Masters of the Universe gets surprise streaming release on Prime Video”.