Despite Masters of the Universe flopping at the box office, Amazon MGM calls opening “exactly the kind of critical first moment” the studio is looking for
Masters of the Universe might have underperformed in its opening weekend, but Amazon MGM says it’s still happy with its performance.
The new film has a reported budget of almost $200 million (not including marketing), but only grossed $54.4 million worldwide during its opening weekend.
“[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,” said Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM’s domestic distribution chief, in a statement (via Variety).
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Essentially, Wilson is saying that the box office isn’t the only measure of success for a film like Masters of the Universe, which is based on the iconic He-Man brand. Time will tell if the movie proves to have staying power, but with an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, it seems movie fans are enjoying the new flick.
Masters of the Universe stars Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, and Idris Elba. In the film, Prince Adam (Galitzine) must return to his home planet to save it from the evil Skeletor (Leto).
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Our own Masters of the Universe review awarded the film 3 stars, with our verdict reading: “He-Man returns for a derivative, comedy-fuelled action-fantasy that never takes itself seriously, for better or worse. It’s much too slow off the mark, but there’s infectious affection for the source material and, like him or loathe him, Jared Leto steals the show as Skeletor.”
Masters of the Universe is in theaters now. For more, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming movies for everything else that’s on the way.
