Masters of the Universe hit theaters on Aug. 7, 1987. With limited marketing, it collected $17 million ($50 million today), failing to turn a profit. The franchise returns to theaters June 5 with Amazon MGM’s reboot that stars Nicholas Galitzine and Jared Leto.

Ahead of the release of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, OG He-Man Dolph Lundgren revisits his 1987 original.

Of course, another major one is the 1987 film starring Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella. One fan of that film is Travis Knight, the director of the new Masters of the Universe, who made sure to weave references to all eras of Masters of the Universe into the film,

On Aug. 7, 1987, Masters of the Universe hit the big screen for the first time, with Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella headlining the adaptation of the Mattel toy line. The film sputtered in release, ultimately grossing $17.3 million globally. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below.

The original 'Masters of the Universe' premiered in 1987. See the cast of the original 'Masters of the Universe' side-by-side with the new stars in the 2026 movie.

Rohan Naahar is a News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once. He has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many ...