Much of the details for the movie remain under wraps at this early stage, but it marks a promising step for Brie, who has spent the last few years collaborating with husband and fellow filmmaker Dave Franco (who co-starred with her in ‘Together’).
What’s the story of Alison Brie’s new horror movie?
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
Brie is really not revealing much about the script that she can Stanley wrote. Brie describes it as “female forward” with a “very fun energy”, and that she knew in her head that she’d end up directing it, describing how she could see shots as she was writing.
This is what she had to say about making the jump to film directing:
“I think women carry a lot of self-doubt and we have a desire to make everything perfect before we attempt something, or we learn everything we can learn. You want to really check the boxes and go, am I prepared for this? And at a certain point you have to just take the leap and believe in yourself.”
This won’t be Brie’s first time calling the shots: she’s previously directed an episode of wrestling drama ‘GLOW’.
Where else can we see Alison Brie?
(L to R) Dave Franco and Alison Brie in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
Brie is busy at the moment –– she has been promoting ‘Together’ and has ‘Masters of the Universe’ headed to screens next year, where she plays Evil-Lyn.
She also has a role in new movie ‘The Revisionist’ about a novelist’s new work spirals out of control as she weaves real people into her narrative. The film doesn’t yet have a release date set.
Finally, there is a new drama series about a woman entering witness protection after a violent incident with her partner.
When would the new movie be in theaters?
It’s anyone’s guess at this point when the movie might be released –– theatrically or via streaming. But we have faith in Brie pushing forward on it.
(L to R) Dave Franco and Alison Brie in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
List of Movies featuring Alison Brie and Dave Franco:
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
Real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie star in ‘Together,’ the feature debut of writer-director Michael Shanks. A body horror thriller not too far removed from the early works of David Cronenberg – although the latter would take a more clinical approach – ‘Together’ touches on a number of ideas involving identity, relationships, and marriage, all filtered through a decidedly Lovecraftian supernatural premise.
And it all works quite well, thanks to Shanks’ smart script and confident direction, as well as the unbeatable chemistry that Brie and Franco have together. Their natural closeness with each other makes ‘Together’ poignant and believable even at its most grotesque moments – and there are quite a few of those.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Director Michael Shanks, Dave Franco and Alison Brie on the set of ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
Millie (Alison Brie) accepts a teaching job in the country, meaning that she and longtime partner Tim (Dave Franco), an aspiring yet largely unsuccessful musician, must abandon their friends and city digs for a more bucolic lifestyle. Tim is reluctant to leave, which only adds to the strain on their already fraying and recently sexless relationship, and there are signs that both are not entirely committed to seeing this through together.
While hiking in the woods near their new home, the couple get lost in the rain and fall into a cave that contains the ruins of a chapel. After drinking water from a pool in the cave – and getting their legs stuck together by a strange substance – they return home only for Tim to find himself mysteriously and powerfully drawn to Millie physically. At one point, they have frantic, vigorous sex in a bathroom at her school, although the outcome is a lot more painful than expected.
It inevitably becomes clear that whatever the couple drank in that cave is causing them to physically merge with each other, a fate which might have befallen a couple that went missing there several weeks earlier. And despite their best – and most gruesome efforts – the two realize that there is almost nothing they can do to keep the process from happening.
(L to R) Dave Franco and Alison Brie in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
‘Together’ doesn’t hide its intent, and it’s the sheer horror of what’s occurring – leavened with a little black humor – that keeps the movie from being heavy-handed. But this is very much a film about what happens when one’s identity and life become so entwined with that of another person that it’s difficult to know where one ends and the other begins – in this case, literally. The way that co-dependent couples can burrow under each other’s skins or tear each other apart manifests in unsettlingly real terms.
For the most part, Shanks juggles it all exceptionally well, with the tone wavering only a bit in the third act as the prosthetics take over and a few broader laughs puncture the otherwise eerie atmosphere. The natural setting and ruined church all hint at forces beyond our understanding – as if love and identity themselves weren’t often difficult enough to comprehend.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Dave Franco and Alison Brie in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
This is essentially a two-hander, and the leads leave it all out on the playing field. Even if you don’t know going in that Franco and Brie are married in real life, there’s a specific intimacy to their interactions that makes their distress – both before and after the cave – all the more acute.
Whatever real baggage they bring to the film is their business, but the characters feel genuine: Tim is unable to face getting older and leaving his adolescent rock star dreams behind, while Millie increasingly feels like she’s carrying the entire relationship om her shoulders and not being seen. The texture of their performances gives ‘Together’ that extra emotional oomph.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
‘Together’ works as both a relationship drama and a crowd-pleasing horror rave-up; there are scenes in the film that should get a packed house gasping and hollering. But there’s a lot going on under the surface as well, and the movie merges – so to speak — its themes and its visceral effects together almost seamlessly before concluding on a perfectly ambiguous note.
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What is the plot of ‘Together’?
Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco star in ‘Together’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in person with Alison Brie and Dave Franco to talk about their work on ‘Together’, their first reactions to the screenplay, Brie’s performance, adjusting Franco’s character, the married couple’s working relationship, and the pressure of shooting the film in only 21 days.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
Moviefone: To begin with, Dave, can you talk about your first meeting with director Michael Shanks, his pitch for this movie, and why you thought it would be a good project for you and Alison to do together?
Dave Franco: So, I met Michael Shanks, because we were discussing another film that he wrote, during that meeting, that film kind of got pushed to the side, and we just started bonding over horror movies. He was like, “I’ve had this script sitting around for a long time. I think you might really like it,” and so he sent me the script for ‘Together’. I read it, and I was just like, “This is one of the most innovative scripts I’ve ever read. These set pieces are unbelievable.” I turned to Alison, and I was like, “I think we should do this together, because our real relationship could help inform these characters in the movie, who have been together for over a decade, and hopefully we could add some real kind of history and weight to that relationship.”
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
MF: Alison, can you talk about the raw places you have to go to emotionally with this performance, and the benefit of acting opposite your real-life husband? Do you think you could have given the same level of performance with another actor, or could you only have done this project with Dave?
Alison Brie: I do feel like there were so many advantages to doing this together, and to your point, emotionally, yes, but physically, there was stuff we were doing every day that we truly finished every day of filming, going, “We couldn’t do this with anyone else.” It was all new levels of intimacy, even for us, but the best part of working with Dave is just that trust. We trust each other so much. We have worked together before. We respect each other. We work in the same way. I think that I am at my best as a performer when I’m acting opposite Dave or in front of Dave when he’s directing me, just because I can’t be false. He knows me better than anyone. I do think it brings out some of my truest work. Our non-verbal communication is high.
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
MF: Dave, what do you enjoy about working with Alison on set?
DF: In the two times that I’ve directed her, in the rare moments when I would come up to give her a note, I’d be walking towards her, and often, she’d be like, “I know. I got it. Go back to the monitors.” Then I’d go back to the monitors, and she’d do exactly what I was going to tell her.
(L to R) Director Michael Shanks, Dave Franco and Alison Brie on the set of ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
MF: Dave, I understand that you and Michael made some adjustments to your character before filming to make Tim more likable. Can you talk about what aspects of the character you wanted to change before shooting?
DF: So, Michael Shanks very loosely based the relationship in the movie on his own, sixteen-year relationship, and he kind of made my character, which is a version of him, the worst version of him. He was like, “This is how I fear people are looking at me. This is just all my darkest places in my head.” I was like, “I get that, but on the page, this guy is an a**hole, and no one will be rooting for this guy.” So, it was truly minor character adjustments, just making sure that his a**hole-ness was kind of coming from a relatable place of just being a tortured guy.
Alison Brie in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.
MF: Finally, Alison, you and Dave are also producers on the film. From a producer’s point of view, did you feel the pressure of a 21-day shoot?
AB: A little bit. I mean, we had great support. We had a lot of great producers on this, but there certainly were days where you’re wearing both hats. We’re doing the craziest contorting on set, and then turning to figure out if we’re losing a location or what’s happening. That can always be stressful. Again, it’s wonderful to have my husband there, and truly, we were such a great team with Shanks. It really felt like the three of us are in this together collaborating, making this movie, problem solving together, so we just had a good thing going.
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What is the plot of ‘Together’?
Years into their relationship, a couple (Alison Brie and Dave Franco) find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco star in ‘Togther’. Photo: Neon.
Opening in theaters on July 30th is the new horror movie ‘Together‘, which was written and directed by Michael Shanks.
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The film stars real-life married couple Dave Franco (‘Now You See Me‘) and Alison Brie (‘Somebody I Used to Know‘) as a couple who move to the countryside but find themselves encountering a mysterious force that horrifically causes changes in their bodies.
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Throughout the history of cinema there have been many great horror movie duos including married couples like the Woodhouses from ‘Rosemary’s Baby‘ and the Warrens from ‘The Conjuring‘ , partners like the Gecko brothers from ‘From Dusk Till Dawn‘ and Shaun and Ed from ‘Shaun of the Dead‘, or villains and heroes such as Freddy Krueger and Nancy Thompson from ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street‘ and Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling from ‘The Silence of the Lambs‘.
In honor of ‘Together’s release, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best horror movie duos of all time!
(L to R) Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney in ‘From Dusk till Dawn’. Photo: Miramax Films.
After kidnapping a father and his two kids, the Gecko brothers (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety, unaware of its notorious vampire clientele.
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19. Gerry Lane and Karin Lane – ‘World War Z‘ (2013)
Life for former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family seems content. Suddenly, the world is plagued by a mysterious infection turning whole human populations into rampaging mindless zombies. After barely escaping the chaos, Lane is persuaded to go on a mission to investigate this disease. What follows is a perilous trek around the world where Lane must brave horrific dangers and long odds to find answers before human civilization falls.
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18. Annie Graham and Peter Graham – ‘Hereditary‘ (2018)
Following the death of the Leigh family matriarch, Annie (Toni Collette) and her children uncover disturbing secrets about their heritage. Their daily lives are not only impacted, but they also become entangled in a chilling fate from which they cannot escape, driving them to the brink of madness.
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17. Jerry Dandridge and Charley Brewster – ‘Fright Night‘ (1985)
Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale), a high school student, accidentally discovers the true and creepy nature of Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon), his dashing and enigmatic new neighbor; but no one seems willing to believe him.
Ash (Bruce Campbell), a handsome, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed department store clerk, is time warped backwards into England’s Dark Ages, where he romances a beauty and faces legions of the undead.
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15. ‘Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees – ‘Freddy vs. Jason‘ (2003)
(L to R) Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) and Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger) in ‘Freddy vs. Jason’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Freddy (Robert Englund) enlists Jason (Ken Kitzinger) to kill on his behalf on Elm Street, after realizing that he can’t haunt dreams because people no longer fear him.
George Lutz (James Brolin), his wife Kathy (Margot Kidder), and their three children have just moved into a beautiful, and improbably cheap, Victorian mansion nestled in the sleepy coastal town of Amityville, Long Island. However, their dream home is concealing a horrific past and soon each member of the Lutz family is plagued with increasingly strange and violent visions and impulses.
The Candyman (Tony Todd), a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a skeptic grad student (Virginia Madsen) researching the monster’s myth.
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12. Father Karras and Father Merrin – ‘The Exorcist‘ (1973)
When a charming 12-year-old girl (Linda Blair) takes on the characteristics and voices of others, doctors say there is nothing they can do. As people begin to die, the girl’s mother (Ellen Burstyn) realizes her daughter has been possessed by the Devil. Her daughter’s only possible hope lies with two priests (Max von Sydow and Jason Miller) and the ancient rite of demonic exorcism.
Having grown sick and tired of his centuries as Dracula’s (Nicolas Cage) lackey, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) finds a new lease on life — and maybe even redemption — when he falls for feisty, perennially angry traffic cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina).
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10. Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton – ‘Heretic‘ (2024)
(L to R) Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East in ‘Heretic’. Photo: A24.
Two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
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9. Rosemary Woodhouse and Guy Woodhouse – ‘Rosemary’s Baby‘ (1968)
A young couple, Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy (John Cassavettes), moves into an infamous New York apartment building, known by frightening legends and mysterious events, with the purpose of starting a family.
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8. Chucky and Andy Barclay – ‘Child’s Play‘ (1988)
An innocent-looking doll (Brad Dourif) is inhabited by the soul of a serial killer who refuses to die.
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7. Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley – ‘Scream‘ (1996)
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl (Neve Campbell) is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
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6. Elisabeth Sparkle and Sue – ‘The Substance‘ (2024)
A fading celebrity (Demi Moore) decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself (Margaret Qualley).
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5. Ed Warren and Lorraine Warren – ‘The Conjuring‘ (2013)
(L to R) Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in ‘The Conjuring’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.
Shaun (Simon Pegg) lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.
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3. Michael Myers and Laurie Strode – ‘Halloween‘ (1978)
Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween Night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.
Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop’s daughter, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger (Robert Englund), who was burned alive by angry parents many years before. Krueger has now come back in the dreams of his killers’ children, claiming their lives as his revenge. Nancy and her boyfriend, Glen (Johnny Depp), must devise a plan to lure the monster out of the realm of nightmares and into the real world…
(L to R) Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’. Photo: Orion Pictures.
Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is a top student at the FBI’s training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.
Nicholas Galitzine in 2026’s ‘Masters of the Universe’. Photo: Nicholas Galitzine’s Instagram Account / Amazon MGM Studios.
Preview:
‘Masters of the Universe’ star Nicholas Galitzine shared a new look at his costume.
The movie, directed by Travis Knight, recently wrapped.
Jared Leto, Camila Mendes and Alison Brie also star.
The new incarnation of the ‘Masters of the Universe’ story –– the latest adaptation of the Mattel toy line and its associated animated TV series –– has now wrapped shooting with ‘Bumblebee’s Travis Knight at the helm.
This long-developing movie stars Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, the muscular hero who must protect the world of Eternia from the evil schemes of Skeletor (played in the new movie by Jared Leto).
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Galitzine took to social media to provide a new silhouetted photo of himself as He-Man, with the following caption:
“Well, that’s a wrap on ‘Masters of the Universe.’ It has been an honour shouldering the responsibility of playing Adam and He-Man. It’s been the role of a lifetime and I put everything into it. There’s not much I can show you, but I am so proud of the movie we’ve made. Thanks to our amazing cast and crew for all your hard work.”
Knight worked from a new draft of the script by Chris Butler –– to whom he’s already connected, as Butler has written or directed several animated movies produced by Knight’s Laika studio.
The new movie follows 10-year old Prince Adam, who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword — the only link to his home on Eternia.
After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man, the most powerful man in the Universe.
Who else appears in ‘Masters of the Universe’?
Camila Mendes on ‘Riverdale’. Photo: Warner Bros. Television Studios.
(Left) Morena Baccarin as Lorena Nascimento in ‘Last Looks’. Photo: RLJE Films. (Right) The Sorceress in ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ 1980’s Cartoon. Photo: Filmation Associates.
Preview:
Morena Baccarin, James Purefoy are joining the ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie.
It’ll adapt the ‘He-Man’ toy line.
‘Bumblebee’s Travis Knight is the directing the film.
With the cameras rolling at last on the long-developing (more on that chaos below) ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie, there is more news on the cast, which has been growing in the last few days.
Travis Knight, who might be more known as the boss (and one of the main directors) for stop-motion studio Laika, but who has been forging ahead with a live-action helming on movies such as ‘Transformers’ spin-off ‘Bumblebee,’ will call the shots on the new movie.
As for the cast, it already includes Nicholas Galitzine (as the heroic central figure He-Man), Camila Mendes (as warrior woman Teela), Jared Leto (as the big villain, Skeletor), Idris Elba (playing Duncan/Man-at-Arms, who is Teela’s adoptive father).
What has happened with the movie’s development so far?
‘Masters of the Universe’ toys. Photo: Mattel.
‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ follows Prince Adam, who has a magic sword that turns him into the powerful He-Man. He and his comrades (including Teela, the Captain of the Royal Guard) must protect the planet of Eternia from the evil machinations of villain Skeletor (whose acolytes include Evil-Lyn).
A live-action big screen version in 1987 starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor flopped at the box office, which scuttled a planned sequel.
Netflix was the most recent company to try, hiring directing siblings Adam and Aaron Nee, the duo behind 2015’s indie movie ‘Band of Robbers’ and 2022’s ‘The Lost City’, who were also attached to a Sony attempt, working on the script with ‘Man Of Steel’s David S. Goyer.
Amazon MGM Studios has the rights now, with Knight in charge, and that version has actually gone into production. Fingers crossed it makes it to screens!
What’s the story for the new ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie?
‘Masters of the Universe’ toys. Photo: Mattel.
Knight is working from a new draft of the script by Chris Butler –– to whom he’s already connected, as Butler has written or directed several animated movies produced by Knight’s Laika studio.
And the story itself remains the biggest mystery here. While it’s expected to stick to some sort of conflict between He-Man and Skeletor, there has been a rumored plotline floating around, albeit one that has seen zero confirmation from either the studio or filmmakers.
Still, if you’re interested, it reportedly revolves around 9–year-old Prince Adam crashing to Earth in a spaceship and being separated from his Magical Sword –– the only link to his home on Eternia.
After tracking it down almost two decades later, Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam first will need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
Who else has been cast in ‘Masters of the Universe’?
(Left) Alison Brie as Amber in ‘Spin Me Round.’ (Right) Evil-Lyn from ‘Masters of the Universe: Revolution’. Photo: Netflix.
Alongside the aforementioned main cast, there is a sprawling ensemble around them.
‘Community’s Alison Brie is playing Skeletor’s sorceress lieutenant Evil-Lyn, we now know that Sam C. Wilson will fill the part of Trap Jaw, Hafthor Bjornsson will play Goat Man and Kojo Attah has landed the role of Tri-Klops.
Who are the new characters?
The Sorceress in ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ 1980’s Cartoon. Photo: Filmation Associates.
Baccarin’s Sorceress watches over Castle Grayskull, guarding the secrets and wisdom contained therein. She’s quite the powerful force and can only use her abilities when confined in the castle. Outside Grayskull, she becomes Zoar, a falcon, who communicates telepathically with trusted friends.
Fisto’s story began as a villain before he became a hero. He gets his name from his huge, mailed fist. and has talent for trapping and training wild animals; he has a pet Arachna.
Ram-Man is a warrior known for using his head as a battering ram (the name, like so many ‘He-Man’ characters, rather gives it away).
Zamata’s character, meanwhile, is named Susie, who doesn’t appear in ‘He-Man’ canon, so we’re going to assume she’s a regular human who meets the characters. Likewise Vunipola’s character which is called Hussein.
When will ‘Masters of the Universe’ be on screens?
Amazon/MGM studios is aiming to have the movie in theaters on June 5th, 2026.
‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ 1980’s Cartoon. Photo: Filmation Associates.
Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Masters of the Universe’ Franchise:
Jared Leto will be Skeletor in the new ‘Masters of the Universe.’
Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes are leading the cast.
‘Bumblebee’ director Travis Knight is overseeing the movie.
After years of torturous development –– documented lower down the page –– it would seem that the new ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie really is falling properly into place at last.
Yet one big, central casting piece remained unannounced… that of He-Man’s bony, scheming nemesis, Skeletor. Reporter Jeff Sneider first brought word that Jared Leto had been offered the role of the cackling baddie back in September and the actor’s deal has now closed, since Leto has been officially announced.
What has happened with the movie’s development so far?
‘Masters of the Universe’ toys. Photo: Mattel.
‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ follows Prince Adam, who has a magic sword that turns him into the powerful He-Man. He and his comrades (including Teela, the Captain of the Royal Guard) must protect the planet of Eternia from the evil machinations of villain Skeletor (whose acolytes include Evil-Lyn).
The new live-action version has torn a path through filmmakers and studios. Directors such as ‘Face/Off’s John Woo, ‘Wicked’s Jon M. Chu and ‘Truth Or Dare’s Jeff Wadlow have been attached at one time or another, but the movie has always fallen apart.
Amazon MGM Studios has the rights now, with ‘Bumblebee’ director Travis Knight in charge, and that version is now in actual pre-production with a shoot planned for next year.
What’s the story for the new ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie?
‘Masters of the Universe’ toys. Photo: Mattel.
Knight is working from a new draft of the script by Chris Butler –– to whom he’s already connected, as Butler has written or directed several animated movies produced by Knight’s Laika studio.
And the story itself remains the biggest mystery here. While it’s expected to stick to some sort of conflict between He-Man and Skeletor, there has been a rumored plotline floating around, albeit one that has seen zero confirmation from either the studio or filmmakers.
Still, if you’re interested, it reportedly revolves around 9–year-old Prince Adam crashing to Earth in a spaceship and being separated from his Magical Sword –– the only link to his home on Eternia.
After tracking it down almost two decades later, Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam first will need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
Who else has been cast in ‘Masters of the Universe’?
(Left) Alison Brie as Amber in ‘Spin Me Round.’ (Right) Evil-Lyn from ‘Masters of the Universe: Revolution’. Photo: Netflix.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a trio of actors is joining Leto on his evil crusade.
With Brie already in place as his sorceress lieutenant, we now know that Sam C. Wilson will fill the part of Trap Jaw, Hafthor Bjornsson will play Goat Man and Kojo Attah has landed the role of Tri-Klops.
Attah, meanwhile, counts the likes of ‘The Beekeeper,’ ‘Wrath of Man’ and in a slightly less action-heavy category, UK crime series ‘Midsomer Murders’ among his credits.
In genre terms, he’s been seen as the Joker in ‘Suicide Squad’ (though his performance was vastly overshadowed by the likes of Heath Ledger) and ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ while more recent efforts such as ‘Morbius’ and Disney’s latest attempt to redo ‘The Haunted Mansion’ have frankly been met with even less success.
He’ll be hoping for better results with Skeletor and also his appearance as the title character in the next ‘Tron’ movie, ‘Tron: Ares,’ which will arrive in theaters in October 2025.
When will ‘Masters of the Universe’ be on screens?
Amazon/MGM studios is aiming to have the movie in theaters on June 5th, 2026.
2011’s ‘Masters of the Universe: Revelation’. Photo: Netflix.
Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Masters of the Universe’ Franchise:
Idris Elba’s in early talks to join the new ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie.
Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes are leading the cast.
‘Bumblebee’ director Travis Knight is overseeing the movie.
Earlier this year, the long-developing (more on its tortured history below) new movie based on the ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ toy line/1980s cartoon series finally appeared to take the leap from vaporware to Actual Film That Will Actually Happen, as ‘Bumblebee’s Travis Knight signed on to direct.
What has happened with the movie’s development so far?
‘Masters of the Universe’ toys. Photo: Mattel.
‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ follows Prince Adam, who has a magic sword that turns him into the powerful He-Man. He and his comrades (including Teela, the Captain of the Royal Guard) must protect the planet of Eternia from the evil machinations of villain Skeletor (whose acolytes include Evil-Lyn).
What’s the story for the new ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie?
‘Masters of the Universe’ toys. Photo: Mattel.
Knight is working from a new draft of the script by Chris Butler –– to whom he’s already connected, as Butler has written or directed several animated movies produced by Knight’s Laika studio.
The new movie reportedly (there has been no official confirmation) revolves around 9–year-old Prince Adam crashing to Earth in a spaceship and being separated from his Magical Sword –– the only link to his home on Eternia.
After tracking it down almost two decades later, Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam first will need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
Who is Man-at-Arms?
(L to R) Jon Cypher as Man-At-Arms and Chelsea Field as Teela in ‘Masters of the Universe’. Photo: The Cannon Group, Inc.
Various versions of the character have existed across the different comics and series adaptations of the ‘He-Man’ stories, but in the most familiar, he’s Duncan, a soldier and inventor who acts as a mentor to Prince Adam (while being unaware that the young man’s alter ego is He-Man) and foster father to Teela.
It remains to be seen which incarnation Knight and Butler are drawing from, but Elba seems like a good call for the role.
When will ‘Masters of the Universe’ be on screens?
Amazon/MGM studios is aiming to have the movie in theaters on June 5th, 2026.
‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ 1980’s Cartoon. Photo: Filmation Associates.
Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Masters of the Universe’ Franchise:
(Left) Alison Brie as Amber in ‘Spin Me Round.’ (Right) Evil-Lyn from ‘Masters of the Universe: Revolution’. Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
Alison Brie will be Evil-Lyn in Amazon MGM’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie.
She joins Nicholas Galitzine, who’s playing He-Man, and Camila Mendes as Teela.
Travis Knight is in the director’s chair.
There is yet more positive forward movement for the ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie that Amazon MGM Studios has been putting together as another key piece of casting news has arrived.
It’s the latest update for the movie, which already has ‘The Idea of You’s Nicholas Galitzine, who is playing heroic central figure He-Man, alongside Camila Mendes, who will be warrior Teela.
Travis Knight, more usually found overseeing stop-motion animated movies for the Laika company, but who also directed ‘Bumblebee’, is on hand for the new live-action effort.
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What has happened with the movie’s development so far?
‘Masters of the Universe’ toys. Photo: Mattel.
‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ follows Prince Adam, who has a magic sword that turns him into the powerful He-Man. He and his comrades (including Teela, the Captain of the Royal Guard) must protect the planet of Eternia from the evil machinations of villain Skeletor (whose acolytes include Evil-Lyn).
Netflix was the most recent company to try, hiring directing siblings Adam and Aaron Nee, the duo behind 2015’s indie movie ‘Band of Robbers’ and 2022’s ‘The Lost City’, who were also attached to a Sony attempt, working on the script with ‘Man Of Steel’s David S. Goyer.
What’s the story for the new ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie?
‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ 1980’s Cartoon. Photo: Filmation Associates.
Knight is working from a new draft of the script by Chris Butler –– to whom he’s already connected, as Butler has written or directed several animated movies produced by Knight’s Laika studio.
The new movie reportedly (there has been no official confirmation) revolves around 9–year-old Prince Adam crashing to Earth in a spaceship and being separated from his Magical Sword –– the only link to his home on Eternia.
After tracking it down almost two decades later, Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam first will need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
Who is Evil-Lyn?
Meg Foster as Evil-Lyn in ‘Masters of the Universe’. Photo: The Cannon Group, Inc.
As her name implies, she does not align with the forces of good. Evil-Lyn is Skeletor’s second-in-command and uses a wand with a crystal orb to practice the dark arts.
Meg Foster portrayed the character in the 1987 live-action movie.
Brie’s casting is interesting and could be a lot of fun. And does it indicate a more comedic bent than we thought?
Alison Brie: Career to Date
(L to R) Alison Brie and director Dave Franco at the premiere of Prime Video’s ‘Somebody I Used to Know.’
Alongside the aforementioned ‘Community’ and ‘GLOW’, Brie has been seen in the TV likes of ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Apples Never Fall.’
(L to R) Alison Brie and Chevy Chase in ‘Community.’ Photo courtesy of NBC.com.
Even at the height of his ‘Saturday Night Live’ fame and comedy movie star status, Chevy Chase had the reputation of being an outspoken, difficult person.
Yet his proven comic talent on the comedy show, and his cinema work meant that he came across as more of a tricky star dealing with the pressures of fame.
These days, however, he’s more seen as an angry old man, spouting off about past work and claiming that he was better than the likes of ‘Community’, on which he starred as part of the ensemble for 85 episodes between 2010 and 2013.
Speaking to ‘WTF’ podcast host Marc Maron on a recent episode of the show, Chase laid into the show.
Chevy Chase in ‘Community.’ Photo courtesy of NBC.com.
For four seasons on the show, Chase played Pierce Hawthorne, a former moist towelette tycoon who was at one time the C.E.O of Hawthorne Wipes. He enrolled in Greendale Community College to expand his horizons.
Chase shared the screen with the likes of Donald Glover, Joel McHale and Danny Pudi, and was frequently criticized for his rude behavior, including making racial comments during a heated disagreement with series creator Dan Harmon over his character. He eventually departed the show at the end of the fourth season.
On the subject of the show, Chase said this:
“I honestly felt the show wasn’t funny enough for me, ultimately. I felt a little bit constrained. Everybody had their bits, and I thought they were all good. It just wasn’t hard-hitting enough for me.”
And about his character?
“I didn’t mind the character. I just felt that it was… I felt happier being alone. I just didn’t want to be surrounded by that table, every day, with those people. It was too much.”
Asked how he felt when his former ‘Community’ collaborators made negative comments about his on-set behavior, Chase doubled down:
“I guess you’d have to ask them. I don’t give a crap! I am who I am. And I like where — who I am. I don’t care. And it’s part of me that I don’t care. And I’ve thought about that a lot. And I don’t know what to tell you, man. I just don’t care.”
Previous Chase comments
Cast of ‘Community.’ Photo courtesy of NBC.com.
This is far from the first time that the outspoken Chase has gone on the offensive.
“First of all, between you and me and a lamppost, jeez, I don’t want to put down Lorne (Michaels, ‘SNL’ boss) or the cast. But I’ll just say, maybe off the record, I’m amazed that Lorne has gone so low. I had to watch a little of it, and I just couldn’t f*****g believe it. That means a whole generation of s**theads laughs at the worst f*****g humor in the world.”
For a man who claims he doesn’t want to speak badly of anyone, he certainly spends a lot of time doing just that…
