Nicholas Galitzine says he found his own He-Man in Masters of the Universe

Nicholas Galitzine is helping turn Masters of the Universe into a studio strategy story as much as a fantasy film. Born in 1994, he did not grow up with He-Man, so his version of Prince Adam had to come from the script, not from a lifetime of nostalgia for the 1980s Mattel toy line and animated series that made the character famous.

That matters for Mattel and Amazon MGM Studios, which have built the movie as part of a larger push to turn legacy brands into new theatrical franchises. The film is set for U.S. release on June 5, 2026, with Amazon MGM Studios handling domestic distribution and Sony Pictures International Releasing handling international release in June. The official trailer arrived on March 31, and Mattel started rolling out a cross-category product line on April 25, signaling that the company is treating the project as a franchise launch, not a one-off adaptation.

Galitzine has said he only recently understood how much the property meant to generations of fans, and that once he connected with the script, he wanted the role more and more. That approach fits the reinvention model Hollywood has been leaning on across familiar intellectual property: hire actors who are not bound to decades of fan expectation, then ask them to reinterpret iconic roles for a new audience rather than mimic what came before. Idris Elba, who is also in the cast, pointed to the durability of strong IP and the way old stories can be retold for younger viewers.

The film follows Prince Adam as he returns to Eternia, embraces his destiny as He-Man, and battles Skeletor, played by Jared Leto. The cast also includes Camila Mendes, Alison Brie and Sam C. Wilson, with Kristen Wiig voicing Roboto. Travis Knight directed the film from a screenplay by Chris Butler and Aaron Nee, Adam Nee and Dave Callaham, with story by Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, Alex Litvak and Michael Finch.

Mattel has paired the release with a wider corporate push that goes beyond the box office. The company created Mattel Studios in 2025 to combine its film and television units, and on April 28, Mattel, Amazon MGM Studios and Save the Children announced a global giveback campaign tied to the movie. Coming after Barbie proved toy brands could still draw major audiences when reimagined well, Masters of the Universe now serves as another test of how far nostalgia can be rebuilt into a modern screen franchise.