One Of The Summer's Biggest Flops Is Getting A Second Chance With Upcoming New Release
Masters Of The Universe’s Digital Release Date Officially Confirmed
Masters of the Universe is bringing Eternia home this week.
2026's Masters of the Universe is the second time that the Mattel toy and cartoon franchise has been adapted into a live-action film after the 1987 Dolph Lundgren movie. This new version, which was directed by Travis Knight, stars Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, Camila Mendes as Teela, and Jared Leto as Skeletor. After debuting on June 5, it massively underperformed in theaters, opening at No. 2 behind Scary Movie, dropping out of the domestic Top 5 during its third weekend, and grossing $113.4 million worldwide so far against a huge reported budget of $170 million.
Prime Video has now announced that Masters of the Universe will debut on streaming on July 22. This new release comes just a month and a half after the film's theatrical debut.
This new release is where the adventure movie may truly get its chance to shine. While it fell catastrophically behind in theaters (the reported budget of Masters of the Universe could place its estimated theatrical break-even point as high as $425 million, a benchmark of which it has so far fallen more than $300 million short), the box office is far from the movie's only potential revenue stream.
The theatrical releases for Amazon MGM Studios productions generally only act as a prelude to their eventual streaming releases. Should they become robust hits on streaming, they can make up for any box office deficit. This was the case for the studio's 2024 Christmas action comedy Red One, which grossed $186 million against a reported budget of $200 million or more but went on to become the streamer's most-watched film debut at the time.
In addition to its streaming release, Masters of the Universe has a robust line of merchandise that could sell even better if it becomes a hit on streaming (as it very well could, considering the fact that the audience members that did see it in theaters have responded well to it, giving it an 86% score on the Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter). It is also set to be released on physical media at a later date, which will add another revenue stream to its overall roster.
It may still be a long shot to expect that the sequel teased by the ending of Masters of the Universe will ever come to fruition. After all, Red One performed better in theaters proportionally to its budget, and there still hasn't been a follow-up feature greenlit. However, its potential streaming success could still spell good news for the future of its stars, particularly Nicholas Galitzine.
In addition to returning to Prime Video with the upcoming romance sequel Red, White, & Royal Wedding, Galitzine is set to star opposite Bill Skarsgård, Ray Nicholson, and Tom Francis in the upcoming World War II football movie The Mosquito Bowl. Should Masters of the Universe connect with a broader audience on streaming, it should help build a foundation for the star that potentially helps boost his next projects as they begin to arrive.