There have been several surprising box office success stories this year, with movies like Michael, Backrooms, and Obsession massively exceeding industry expectations. However, we've seen some noteworthy flops, too, and Masters of the Universe looks set to join them.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, the movie has grossed a mere $29.3 million during its opening weekend at the North American box office, and with a reported $200 million budget, it's impossible to see how the live-action reboot—which has received a warm response from He-Man fans—can make enough money to warrant a follow-up.
Amazon will be keeping a close eye on Prime Video streaming numbers when it hits the platform, but this has not been the Barbie-sized hit that Mattel expected or hoped for.
There's a long summer ahead, of course, but with a $25 million start overseas, Masters of the Universe's global opening is a disappointing $54.3 million. With movies like Toy Story 5 and Supergirl on the horizon, poor He-Man has been slayed.
Still, Amazon can take some solace in the fact that the latest Star Wars movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu, has also struggled to find an audience since opening over Memorial Day weekend. Dropping 59% in the U.S. with a $10 million third weekend, its domestic cume now sits at $155 million. Globally, it's reached $293 million, meaning it will almost certainly end its run behind 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story.
That poorly received spin-off only made $393 million, but The Mandalorian and Grogu now takes its place as the lowest-grossing Star Wars movie. What that means for the future of Din Djarin and The Child is hard to say, though it's hard to imagine them returning to theaters.
The big winner this weekend was Scary Movie. Despite largely negative reviews, the horror-comedy revival opened with $55 million at the domestic box office and $50.5 million overseas for a $105.5 million global bow. That's nearly twice as much as Masters of the Universe, a movie many expected to be one of the summer's biggest blockbusters.
Addressing that, MGM Studios' Head of Domestic Theatrical Distro, Kevin Wilson, said, "This weekend represents a very solid start for Masters of the Universe and the passionate, multigenerational audience response we're seeing around the world has been fantastic."
"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."
Here's what the Top 10 looked like in the U.S. this weekend:
1. Scary Movie - $55 million
2. Masters of the Universe - $29.3 million
3. Backrooms - $25.9 million
4. Obsession - $25.6 million
5. Amazing Digital Circus - $12.7 million
6. Mandalorian and Grogu - $10 million
7. Michael - $7.7 million
8. The Breadwinner - $3.4 million
9. Pressure - $3 million
10. Devil Wears Prada 2 - $2.8 million
In Masters of the Universe, Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia, where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto).
To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
Masters of the Universe is now playing in theaters.