He-Man Movie Set to Be One of 2026’s Major Box Office Flops

Amazon MGM’s new *Masters of the Universe* film featuring He-Man is struggling at the box office, and the numbers are surprisingly low. The blockbuster has only managed to pull in around $55 million globally, which is quite disappointing.

Released over the weekend, *Masters of the Universe* stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man and Jared Leto as the villainous Skeletor. The plot follows Prince Adam as he navigates our mundane world before returning to his home planet to confront Skeletor and claim his rightful place as the leader of Eternia. Despite receiving decent reviews from critics, the film failed to attract audiences to theaters.

As of June 7, the film has earned just $29 million domestically and $25 million from its release in 86 countries, totaling a dismal opening weekend of $54 million.

Considering the film’s production cost was around $200 million, this is a rough start. Additionally, we don’t have details on the marketing budget, but the general rule of thumb is to double the production cost to account for marketing and theater cuts. This suggests that profitability for the He-Man movie is highly unlikely.

However, Kevin Wilson, head of domestic distribution at Amazon MGM, remained optimistic in a statement over the weekend.

“This weekend represents a very solid start for *Masters of the Universe*, and the passionate, multigenerational audience response we’re seeing around the world has been fantastic,” Wilson stated. “[Director] Travis Knight and the entire cast and filmmaking team have delivered something truly special, and this opening is exactly the kind of critical first moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy—building awareness and engagement that will carry well beyond the theatrical window.”

In other words, they’re banking on the film performing well on streaming once it hits Amazon Prime. As for *Masters of the Universe*’s box office prospects, the outlook isn’t bright, especially with *Toy Story 5* and *Disclosure Day* set to release soon, likely drawing away its audience.

On a different note, *Backrooms* has been performing well at the box office, highlighting a trend where established franchises and properties appealing to older generations may not be the future of cinema. Instead, smaller films that resonate with audiences raised on YouTube and TikTok seem to be the key to Hollywood’s survival in the coming decade. Studios that adapt to this shift will thrive, while others may find themselves pouring $200 million into nostalgic projects and hoping for a miracle.