Back in the 1980s, "Masters of the Universe" was thriving on all fronts. The cartoon was a small-screen success, and the toy line attached to it was selling just fine, so what did Mattel do next? It set out to bring He-Man, Skeletor, and the rest of the Eternia gang to the movies. The decision was made to try it out in live-action, with Dolph Lundgren set to portray He-Man in his first theatrical outing. Naturally, Hollywood did as Hollywood does and took some liberties with the source material — a move that proved foolish in short order.
Though it certainly had its fans then and has expanded its fanbase over the years due to its campy nature and Frank Langella's scene-stealing Skeletor performance, director Gary Goddard's "Masters of the Universe" proved to be an unmitigated disaster. The decision to try some new things aesthetically and narratively didn't sit well with most moviegoers or critics, and that disinterest became especially apparent at the box office. By the time it left theaters, it only took in around $17.3 million (via Box Office Mojo), thus failing to even make back its budget.
Should the "Masters of the Universe" reboot that formerly called Netflix home see the light of day, hopefully, it will fare much better than its 1987 predecessor.
