Masters of the Universe, based on the ’80s toy line and He-Man cartoon, is one of those projects that has had a lot of directors attached over the years. Jon M. Chu, Jeff Wadlow, McG, and David Goyer have all been named at one point or another, but now it seems that the Goyer-penned version will be moving forward…just not with him directing. Instead, per a report in Variety (and independently verified by Nerdist’s sources), helming duties will go to the team of Aaron and Adam Nee.
Who? Well, Adam is an actor often seen on Drunk History, and Aaron is a former animator for documentary shows like Nova and American Experience. Together, they directed the live-action feature Band of Robbers, which was about modern-day, grown-up versions of Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, and their supporting cast (minus the inconvenient Jim) pulling a heist. It wasn’t bad, and featured a cannily cast Melissa Benoist as Becky Thatcher. So on the plus side, they have some experience reinventing beloved childhood icons. On the uphill side, nothing about it necessarily suggested epic fantasy, but Aaron’s animation background should prove useful there.
One of the difficulties in getting a Masters of the Universe movie made is that Cannon films grifted Mattel so badly over the 1987 movie (pretending they’d go halfsies on the budget, then reneging and holding up production once they had Mattel’s half) that the toy giant want to make sure it gets done absolutely right this time. It can be daunting for a director walking in to cede a certain level of control to an action figure company in charge. For us He-fans, however, each new announcement brings new hope that we’re ever closer to the Eternian goal.
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Image: Mike Young Productions
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