Filmmaker Travis Knight said his lifelong love for Mattel's iconic sword-and-sorcery franchise Masters of the Universe inspired him to create a faithful big-screen adaptation of the series.
Knight's Masters of the Universe is the second live-action film based on the toy line, following the 1987 movie of the same name starring Dolph Lundgren.
The film stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam, better known as He-Man, one of the franchise's most recognisable characters with a global fanbase, including in India.
Knight, who previously directed the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee, said that understanding what made the franchise resonate across generations was crucial to adapting it for the screen.
“Anytime you're looking at adapting any kind of property, whether it's a book, a video game, a toy line or a cartoon, it is important that you understand what was special and unique about it to begin with,” Knight told PTI in a virtual interview.
The director said his connection to Masters of the Universe dates back to childhood.
“I loved this stuff growing up. The same was true for many members of our cast and crew, who had their own history with these characters. I think you can feel that when you watch the movie. There is joy, there is passion,” he said.
The film follows Prince Adam, who has been living on Earth as an ordinary man with a corporate job. He is called back to the fictional planet of Eternia by the Sword of Power, only to find his homeland ravaged under the rule of Skeleto(Jared Leto).
To save his family and restore Eternia, Adam joins forces with his trusted allies and embraces his destiny as He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe.
Knight said the film draws inspiration from several versions of the franchise, including the 1987 live-action movie.
At a time when filmmaking is often shaped by market trends, Knight said he prefers to focus on crafting a compelling story.
“Trends come and go. In the end, that's not something I can influence. The only thing I can do is tell a compelling story and create a movie that has heart, fun, incredible action sequences and makes audiences feel joy,” he said.
“I'm proud of what we've achieved. Whether a film succeeds commercially or whether certain trends dominate the industry is completely outside my control. I can only focus on the movie we made, and I'm very, very proud of it,” Knight added.
Knight is also the founder and CEO of stop-motion animation studio Laika.
Masters of the Universe, which released in India on Friday, also stars Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, Morena Baccarin and Kristen Wiig.
Sony Pictures India has released the film in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
