Masters Of The Universe Budget, Box Office Projections & Whether It Will Be A Success

2 weeks ago 16

Nicholas Galitzine's Prince Adam holding the Power Sword and looking cautiously at something in Masters of the Universe

Published Jun 3, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT

Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release.

He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years.

He-Man may have the power of Grayskull, but whether Masters of the Universe has the power to become a box office hit remains to be seen. The 2026 blockbuster from Amazon MGM is the long-awaited live-action reboot of the popular Mattel franchise.

2026's Masters of the Universe makes Nicholas Galitzine a modern He-Man/Prince Adam for the fantasy action adventure directed by Bumblebee's Travis Knight. Amazon MGM has put its full support behind the reboot, giving it a star-studded cast, a huge marketing campaign, and a prime summer release date with the hopes that He-Man can support a new live-action franchise.

That largely depends on how well the movie does in theaters after opening on June 5. Masters of the Universe does not have an easy path to success, though, as a large budget was required to bring this world to life.

Masters Of The Universe's Budget Is Reportedly $170-200 Million

He-Man, Teela, Man-At-Arms, and Battle Cat posed heroically on a mountainous terrain

Amazon MGM has been prepared to spend big bucks on Masters of the Universe from the moment the studio began circling to acquire the rights. That led to initial reports from Variety that pegged the cost at lower than $200 million. One source told the outlet that Masters of the Universe was closer to $170 million.

Such a cost is in line with most major Hollywood blockbusters. Amazon previously spent $190 million to make Project Hail Mary, so a similar figure for Masters of the Universe would make sense. The exact budget is not confirmed, with the cost potentially being higher or lower than the estimates, depending on how smoothly production went.

Masters of the Universe's $170-$200 million budget is seen on screen. There is a lot of action in the movie requiring VFX, characters that are partially or fully made with CGI, and the need for major sets like building Eternia. Add in the cost of its notable cast list, and Masters of the Universe was never going to be a cheap production.

How Much Masters Of The Universe Needs To Be A Box Office Success

Nicholas Galitzine As He-Man Looking Up In Masters Of The Universe

That puts He-Man in a tough spot at the box office, though. There is a general rule that a movie needs to make 2 or 2.5x its budget at the box office to become a theatrical success (without factoring in additional revenue streams like merch, digital sales, and licensing deals).

If Knight, who previously made Bumblebee for only $135 million, was able to keep the reboot on the lower end of the expected cost, then Masters of the Universe needs to make $425 million worldwide to be a box office success. The budget winding up closer to the $200 million range would push that target to $600 million.

Despite the nostalgia that Masters of the Universe carries for some, the IP is still unproven at the box office. Dolph Lundgren's original 1987 film only made $17.3 million ($50 million adjusted for inflation). It's up to audiences to show enough interest in Masters of the Universe to propel its box office to profitability and welcome what might as well be considered a fresh IP play.

However, the odds are not in He-Man's favor. The movie is tracking for a $30-$35 million opening weekend domestically (via Variety), which will land it behind fellow new release, Scary Movie, and possibly even behind horror hits, Backrooms and Obsession. There are currently no global box office projections for the movie, but international interest will need to be significant, it seems.

Amazon MGM's best potential saving grace is Masters of the Universe's Rotten Tomatoes score. Reviews have been mostly positive of the reboot, and audiences are expected to like it even more. Securing a strong Popcornmeter rating and CinemaScore could be enough to give Masters of the Universe solid legs throughout the rest of the summer.

That is ultimately what it's going to need based on its opening weekend projections. Masters of the Universe is not positioned to be a box office success based on where things currently stand, so audiences will really have to help He-Man and friends find more success than tracking indicates if they want to see these characters again.