Masters of the Universe director Travis Knight says the movie “deserved a better fate”

Honestly, Masters of the Universe ended up as one of those films where everything looks solid on paper — decent reviews, big budget, fans who still remember the ’80s cheesy charm. But when it hit cinemas, it fizzled in spectacular fashion. On a budget of $170 million, it managed to claw back just $114 million worldwide, which, if you’re keeping score, is what Hollywood likes to call “a bit of a disaster.” In terms of box office maths, it’s firmly in the bomb zone.

$114 million at the global box office against a $170 million spend put Masters of the Universe deep in the red.

That’s not quite the end of the story, though. Once the film landed on Prime Video, suddenly everyone and their nan was watching it. In the first week alone, streaming numbers hit over 1 billion minutes viewed. If you ask Amazon, that's a proper result, no matter what cinemas say.

Travis Knight: Not Quite Over It

Travis Knight, who directed Masters of the Universe, isn’t exactly cheering about the cinema flop, even with all those streaming eyeballs. He vented about how things played out in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:

‘Its life on streaming was much more important to Amazon than its life in the theaters. It’s not something I understood going into it. I wanted their faith in us as filmmakers and in the movie to be rewarded in a way that wasn’t to my hopes and expectations. The film deserved a better fate than it got, but I’ve made peace with it.’

Honestly, it sounds like he’s still a bit gutted. Despite all the love on streaming, the theatrical flop means a sequel isn’t guaranteed. That said, streaming hits are the new get-out-of-jail card in Hollywood, so the door’s hardly slammed shut. Asked by ScreenRant about the odds of a follow-up, Knight wasn’t making any promises, but he’s still keen.

‘These things are out of our control. It was such a joy making that movie, I had so much fun working with that team. We had so much fun, and I think that comes through in the experience of watching the movie. In the end, these sorts of decisions are out of our control, you always imagine where these people’s lives go after the end of the movie, and if the universe, in its wisdom, asks us to make more of these things, we would be delighted to give them more. But, in the end, that’s out of our control, which is why every single movie you make, you put everything you have into it, and you just hope that the movie lives on its own and finds connection with the people you’re trying to reach.’

I went in expecting very little, if I’m honest, but actually had more fun than I’d care to admit. It’s not a masterpiece, but I would quite happily sign up for another round in Eternia if someone puts down the cash.

What’s Next for Knight?

Travis Knight hasn’t hung around moping, though. He’s gone back to animation roots with Wildwood, which is a moody, ambitious fantasy. It follows Prue and Curtis, two teenagers who head into a magical forest after Prue’s baby brother gets abducted — a proper quest setup, full of dark corners and enchanted creatures.

• Wildwood is already picking up rave reviews from critics
• Our own Steve Seigh called it “nothing short of a cinematic miracle”
• The official UK release lands on 23 October