‘Masters Of The Universe’ Movie: Art Marcum & Matt Holloway To Write New Draft For Sony/Mattel Films

Writers Art Marcum & Matt Holloway are in final talks to write the new draft of Masters of the Universe, which Adam Aaron Nee will direct.

Pic is based on the bestselling He-Man toyline from the 1980s that  spawned an animated TV show and a 1987 feature from Cannon Films starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man; back in the day it made over $17 million at the domestic box office. He-Man is a muscular medieval kind of guy who is trying to ward off the nasty Skeletor and his dark armies as both good and evil fight for control of Castle Grayskull.

Currently, Masters of the Universe had a release date of this year on December 20, but getting an event production of this magnitude up and running will take time. So it’s quite conceivable we could see that release date move into 2020.

Like Barbie, He-Man is a prized franchise for Mattel. However, after numerous starts and stops in development at Sony including versions that would have separately starred Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway, Mattel jettisoned the Barbie project over to Warner Bros, where Margot Robbie is currently attached. There was a rumor that Patty Jenkins would direct, but she is busy with Wonder Woman 1984.

The previous draft of Masters of the Universe was written by David S. Goyer, who is also an executive producer.

Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch, as well as DeVon Franklin are producing.

Holloway and Marcum recently wrote Sony’s upcoming Men in Black: International. Their additional credits include Iron Man and Transformers: The Last Knight. They are represented by CAA, Grandview and attorney Mark Bisgeier.