In a major casting announcement, Nicholas Galitzine has been selected to play He-Man, the iconic blond barbarian, in the upcoming Masters of the Universe film adaptation.
The journey of Masters of the Universe to the big screen has been a prolonged and challenging one. Originally initiated over two decades ago, the project has switched hands multiple times, moving from Warner Bros. to Sony, and later to Netflix before the streaming giant scrapped it in 2023 due to budget issues.
Directed by Travis Knight, the movie is a collaboration between Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel.
The script is currently being penned by Chris Butler, following earlier drafts by David Callaham and the Nee brothers. While plot details are still under wraps, a previous studio synopsis revealed that the story follows Prince Adam, known as He-Man, who crashes to Earth as a child and later returns to his home planet to protect it from the villainous Skeletor. To vanquish Skeletor, He-Man must uncover the secrets of his past and embrace his destiny as "the most powerful man in the universe."
Nicholas Galitzine
He-Man
Julie Rapaport, head of film production and development at Amazon MGM Studios, expressed her excitement about the casting and the project. "We’re thrilled to bring the beloved Masters of the Universe to life and couldn’t be more excited to announce the immensely talented Nicholas Galitzine as our He-Man. This reintroduction of the character and his universe will be an epic film that will delight audiences from here to Eternia," Rapaport said.
Galitzine’s involvement in Masters of the Universe continues his growing relationship with Amazon MGM Studios, having recently starred opposite Anne Hathaway in the romantic comedy The Idea of You.
The To All the Boys I've Loved Before star Noah Centineo was previously tapped to play He-Man when the film was at Netflix.
Before leaving the project, Centineo talked to ET about the role. "It's a lot of eating," he told ET on the set of the To All the Boys sequel, P.S. I Still Love You, in January 2020. "You would think it's awesome but it's like, 6,000 calories a day."
"As a person you're supposed to eat like, 2,000 calories a day." he added. "It's great, I'm not complaining, but, you know, if I'm honest, I eat so many eggs."
Masters of the Universe is slated for theatrical release on June 5, 2026.
RELATED CONTENT:
