Masters of the Universe (1987 film)

Masters of the Universe (stylized as Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture) is a 1987 American sword and sorcery film based on the Masters of the Universe franchise by Mattel. The film was directed by Gary Goddard, produced by Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan, and written by David Odell. It stars Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Courteney Cox, James Tolkan, Christina Pickles, and Meg Foster with supporting roles by Billy Barty, Jon Cypher, Chelsea Field, and Robert Duncan McNeill. The film follows two teenagers who meet He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe, who travels to Earth with his friends, Man-At-Arms and Teela, to stop their archenemy, the evil Skeletor from obtaining a cosmic key that will enable him to take over their home planet Eternia and the entire universe.

While it is the first live action movie in the franchise, the very first He-Man/Masters of The Universe movie was the animated He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword, released in theaters nationwide two years earlier in 1985.

Masters of the Universe was released theatrically in the United States on August 7, 1987. It was a critical and commercial failure, grossing $17 million worldwide against a budget of $22 million. At the time of release, it was met with negative reviews from film critics, but is now regarded as a cult film. Another film adaptation is set to be released in 2026.