Masters of the Universe arrives in theaters next month, but it's going to face tougher-than-expected competition from the sixth Scary Movie.
The horror-comedy franchise has been on the shelf since 2013, but it was always dependable at the box office, with five movies grossing $896.3M worldwide over 13 years. Call it nostalgia or a need for something different, but there's clearly still an appetite for this type of offbeat mashup.
According to Deadline (via Toonado.com), while tickets don't go on sale until Monday, current estimates point to a debut on June 5 in the range of $35 million to $40 milliom. In contrast, tickets for Masters of the Universe were recently made available, and it's eyeing a solid $35 million start.
Much can change in the weeks ahead, but it's going to be a tight race for #1 if these numbers are any indication. Amazon MGM Studios is hoping to attract longtime fans of the franchise and a new generation of He-Man fans, and both movies are likely to bring in very different audiences.
Still, with a reported $170+ million production budget according to the trade, the pressure is on Masters of the Universe to deliver. If nothing else, this reboot will easily outperform the 1987 movie starring Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella. That opened to $4.8 million.
In related news, two tracks from the Masters of the Universe soundtrack have been released. The score is composed by Daniel Pemberton (Project Hail Mary), and he's enlisted legendary Queen guitarist Brian May for both the opening and end credits. Unsurprisingly, it sounds epic.
In Masters of the Universe, Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia, where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto).
To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
The supporting cast includes Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress, James Purefoy as King Randor, Charlotte Riley as Queen Marlena, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Fisto, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Goat Man, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram-Man, Stephen Adentan as Moss Man, James Wilkinson as Mekaneck, and Kristen Wiig as Roboto.
Masters of the Universe opens in theaters on June 5, later this year.