West Side Story‘s Kyle Allen has been cast as He-Man in the upcoming Masters Of The Universe reboot.
Producer Mattel Studios and Netflix made the announcement yesterday (January 28), revealing that Allen will take up the sword in the long-delayed live-action adaptation of the ’80s cartoon series.
According to Variety, Allen will play an orphan named Adam who discovers he is a prince destined to be the saviour of a faraway land. He must quickly learn of his power and the importance of saving his true home from an evil force.
Masters Of The Universe is set to be directed and co-written by The Nee Brothers (The Lost City and Band Of Robbers). It was previously at Sony Pictures. The project was officially announced by Netflix after months of further development. However, Sony will retain release rights in China.
“Masters Of The Universe is an iconic property that shaped the imaginations of an entire generation of kids with the message of becoming the best version of yourself,” said Robbie Brenner, head of Mattel Films and an executive producer on the project.
“With our partners at Netflix, we look forward to showing audiences that anything can happen in Eternia. We are continuing to unlock this global franchise in new ways, and we can’t wait to see Kyle battle it out with Skeletor in this epic live-action saga.”
Kevin Smith’s ‘Masters Of The Universe: Revelation’ was released on Netflix in 2021. CREDIT: Netflix
The script was co-written by The Nee Brothers and David Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend Of The Ten Rings). Brenner and Kevin McKeon will lead the project for Mattel Films. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch (Being The Ricardos, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) will produce with DeVon Franklin.
The He-Man property was first introduced in the ’80s as a line of action figures. In 1983, the animated series He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe made its premiere and ran for 130 episodes until 1988. A live-action movie was released in 1987 starring Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, and Courteney Cox.
Netflix is already home to two Masters Of the Universe adaptations: Kevin Smith’s animated series Masters Of The Universe: Revelation, featuring the voices of Mark Hamill, Lena Headey, Chris Wood, and Sarah Michelle Gellar; and the CG-animated series He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe.
