Bringing IP to the screen that’s been dormant for nearly 40 years, Masters of the Universe hopes to kickstart a new franchise when it debuts June 5th. Adapting the toy line and Saturday morning cartoon franchise that began in the early 80s, Travis Knight (Bumblebee) directs with Nicholas Galitzine as hero Adam/He-Man and Jared Leto as the villainous Skeletor. The supporting cast includes Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, and Idris Elba. Kristin Wiig provides voiceover work.

While the film has been in development for many years, you have to go back to 1987 to find the first (and last) time these characters appeared in theaters. That was with Dolph Lundgren as He-Man, Frank Langella as Skeletor, and Courteney Cox in the middle of the action. It was a critical and financial dud and the new Masters hopes to avoid the same fate.

There are challenges. First and foremost, younger viewers may not be as familiar with the source material. Older viewers who did watch the animated series decades ago might not be clamoring for the update. The studio is banking on parents and their kids turning out.

Knight exceeded expectations with Bumblebee and Amazon MGM looks for buzz to increase with his latest. I’m still skeptical this meets its somewhat meager expectations in the mid 30s. I’m taking the under for a rocky beginning.

Masters of the Universe opening weekend prediction: $30.8 million

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Scary Movie Box Office Prediction