‘Masters of the Universe’ Director Breaks His Silence on a Sequel After the Movie’s Stunning Streaming Comeback
Few blockbusters in recent memory have had a second act quite like this one. When Travis Knight’s live-action He-Man reboot arrived in theaters this summer, the reaction was brutal, and the conversation quickly turned to whether the franchise was finished before it began. Talk of a ‘Masters of the Universe’ sequel seemed almost absurd at the time.
The numbers explain why. The film earned around $114 million worldwide against a reported budget between $170 million and $200 million, making it one of the year’s most expensive theatrical disappointments. Critics were mixed, though audiences were noticeably warmer, handing it an 86% audience score.
Then streaming changed the story entirely. After debuting on Prime Video on July 22, the movie pulled in 1.17 billion minutes viewed in the United States in its first week, topping Nielsen’s overall streaming chart. It went on to dominate as the platform’s top movie for 5 straight weeks.
That turnaround made the sequel question unavoidable, and Knight has now addressed it directly. Speaking with ScreenRant‘s Tatiana Hullender during press for ‘Wildwood’, which he also directed, the filmmaker stressed that the call isn’t his to make.
He described making the film as a joy and said he had fun working with the team, adding that he believes that energy comes through on screen. On the sequel itself, he said, “These sorts of decisions are out of our control.”
Knight did leave the door wide open, though. He noted that filmmakers always imagine where characters go after the credits roll, and said that if asked to make more, “we would be delighted to give them more.”
Eternia is calling you home. Watch the Official Trailer for Masters of the Universe now, and experience the movie only in theaters June 5th! https://t.co/0G9Q0PNmPN
— Masters of the Universe (@mastersmovie) March 31, 2026
The streaming performance gives Amazon MGM something it lacked during the theatrical run: a much clearer picture of who actually wants this property. A direct-to-Prime Video sequel has been floated as one realistic path forward, with the film’s streaming numbers and Knight’s enthusiasm working in its favor.
The story itself was also built with continuation in mind. Prince Adam, played by Nicholas Galitzine, returns to Eternia having fully embraced the power of Grayskull, and the film’s post-credits material pointed toward more. Knight has previously confirmed that She-Ra would play a major role in any follow-up.
Part of what makes this comeback notable is how long the property fought to reach the screen at all. This is the first live-action feature based on the Mattel toy line since Dolph Lundgren’s 1987 cult classic, and the project bounced from Netflix to Amazon MGM Studios before landing a June 5, 2026 release date.

Knight assembled a stacked cast to get it there, with Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, Morena Baccarin and Jared Leto as Skeletor filling out the roster. Leto’s villain was reimagined with Knight’s input, with the director previously telling Empire he viewed the character as an embodiment of toxic masculinity.
The film’s streaming run has already prompted some outlets to label it a modern cult classic, a status once reserved for movies rescued by video rentals. Spending roughly a month atop the charts after a rough theatrical run is a different kind of validation, but it is validation all the same.
Nothing is official yet, and Knight was careful not to promise what he cannot deliver. Still, for fans who watched the movie get written off in June, hearing the director say he would gladly return to Eternia is a meaningful shift in tone.
Would you like to see a sequel to Masters of the Universe after its streaming success?
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