Masters of the Universe successfully brought He-Man, Skeletor, and the world of Eternia to the big screen in a way that new fans and longtime fans could appreciate. Despite the positive reviews from critics and the great reaction from audiences that showed up to see the film, the box office results have been disappointing, which put any follow-ups and sequels in real jeopardy. Thankfully, that might not be an issue though, as it appears the franchise still has a strong future in Amazon’s plans, including a sequel.
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A new report from Forbes highlights how the film’s box office isn’t that big an issue for Amazon, and though it is showing in theaters, the report points out that theaters aren’t where the film is expected to have the most impact. This is echoed by a statement from Amazon MGM Studios’ domestic distribution Chief Kevin Wilson, who signaled that this opening is the kind of “critical first moment” that validates their strategy for the franchise.
“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 said. “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.”
Masters of the Universe Is Expected To Be Huge on Prime Video And Fill A Key Role
Another major boost for the film is that it holds a key place in Amazon MGM’s overall slate strategy. Between the James Bond franchise and the upcoming reboot of The Thomas Crown Affair, the studio has spy action covered, while Project Hail Mary soared for science fiction and The Sheep Detectives gives the studio a perfect family film. Then there’s Masters of the Universe, which is a film aimed at adults who grew up with the franchise in the ’80s, but it also did a great job of expanding the net to new fans who never experienced the original cartoon.
That will be even more relevant on Prime Video, as its general audience is even more locked in on streaming as a whole. Plus, it will get a lot of attention when it debuts on the service, especially if Prime Video leans in on the ‘if you missed it in theaters, now’s the time to jump in’ style advertising, as we’ve seen a number of films that didn’t perform at the box office get a huge surge of attention and a whole second life on streaming over the past few year or two.
Maxim Group media analyst Tom Forte highlighted part of this strategy, saying, “we see Amazon’s video strategy as similar to its e-commerce one. The company is focused on the long term and building a large business and willing to invest and lose money, on a short- and near-term basis.” Forte then added, “Amazon is playing the long game here. To the extent these tentpole efforts increase its ability to be, ultimately, successful they should be deemed risky, but successful initiatives.”
Amazon MGM even decided to skip France’s theatrical run entirely. There’s a law in the country that requires Amazon to wait 17 months after releasing a film in theaters before it can have it premiere on Prime Video, so instead of giving it a run in theaters, it’s more valuable for Amazon MGM to just skip it completely, and instead they will premiere it in France directly on Prime Video.
That’s also not even factoring in the impact of just having the franchise in the mainstream consciousness again. Thanks to the positive reviews and reactions from audiences, there’s a lot more discussion around the franchise, and that extends to the always lucrative toy side of things as well. Mattel has had its foot on the gas with a new line of figures and even more on the way, and there’s an increased presence for the franchise on store shelves as a result. If the plan was to bring attention to the property, then mission accomplished, and it certainly seems like Masters of the Universe has even more life left in it.
Masters of the Universe is in theaters now.
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