SlashFilm has laid out what Masters of the Universe’s box office means for the franchise, calling the film officially and unmistakably a box office bomb. In a piece published June 15 by Ryan Scott, the outlet notes that after two weekends the live-action He-Man has made $46.7 million domestically plus $39.4 million internationally for an $86.1 million running total, against a reported production budget of $170 to $200 million before marketing.
The analysis frames the second weekend’s 70 percent drop to $8.6 million as the end of any rebound hopes, with Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” ($44 million) and the new “Scary Movie” pushing He-Man down the chart across its first two frames. SlashFilm argues the audience for a modern Masters of the Universe simply was not large enough to justify the budget, and points to Jared Leto’s limited promotional presence as a factor rather than a boost.
The one wrinkle SlashFilm raises is the Amazon factor. Because Amazon does not need a title like this to turn a profit purely in theaters, the outlet writes, the studio could in theory justify a follow-up if the film performs strongly on VOD and Prime Video, possibly at a lower budget. The piece ties that logic back to Amazon’s $8.5 billion MGM acquisition and its library-building strategy, while cautioning that Masters of the Universe may struggle to even cover its marketing costs.
SlashFilm’s own conclusion is skeptical, with Scott writing that he doubts a sequel happens and that the live-action franchise will more likely go dormant for a while, even though the film’s post-credits scenes lay creative groundwork for more. Director Travis Knight has previously said audiences have not seen the last of Skeletor and that She-Ra would play a major role in any sequel.
Masters of the Universe is in theaters now.
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