Masters of the Universe (2026) cost $170 million to produce and earned about $64.8 million in North America and about $114 million worldwide. That worldwide total left the big-budget release well short of the gross needed to break even theatrically.
The film is the live-action He-Man adventure directed by Travis Knight. Amazon MGM Studios says it opened in U.S. theaters on June 5, 2026, with Sony Pictures handling international release, according to the Amazon MGM Studios press page.
Table of Contents
- What was the production budget?
- Who made the film and who starred in it?
- How did the opening weekend go?
- What were the final domestic and worldwide totals?
- Why is it counted as a flop?
What was the production budget?
The reported production budget was $170 million. Some outlets cited up to $200 million after cost overruns, according to The Numbers franchise table in the Numbers franchise box-office table.
That figure covers production only. It does not include marketing, distribution fees, or the theater share of ticket sales.
Who made the film and who starred in it?
Travis Knight directed the film for Amazon MGM Studios with Mattel Films and Escape Artists. The production brought the long-stalled He-Man property back as a theatrical fantasy action film.
Nicholas Galitzine starred as Prince Adam and He-Man. Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Jared Leto and Alison Brie held major supporting roles.
How did the opening weekend go?
The film opened to about $29.4 million domestically during June 5-7, 2026. Variety reported $29.3 million, placing it second on the domestic chart for the weekend.
A second-place start can still work with strong holds. This opening instead set up a short run because family adventure films usually need strong word of mouth to multiply a soft debut.
What were the final domestic and worldwide totals?
Domestic earnings finished at about $64.8 million. The film fell out of the top ten by its sixth week, giving an opening-to-final multiple of about 2.2 times, according to the BoxOfficeWatch 2026 tracker.
Worldwide earnings finished near $113.8 million to $114 million. That total comprised about $64.8 million domestic and about $49 million from international markets.
Why is it counted as a flop?
Trade and box-office writers call the run a flop because the break-even point was much higher. Clownfish TV, analyzing Variety opening data, noted that a $170 million film normally needs roughly $400 million or more worldwide after marketing and exhibitor splits.
The practical result for viewers was a fast move to streaming. The film later debuted at No. 1 on Nielsen streaming ratings for July 20-26, 2026 after its Prime Video debut, according to RocketNews and Nielsen reporting.
- Worldwide gross is ticket revenue before theaters take their share.
- Production budget excludes marketing and distribution spending.
- Subtracting $170 million from $114 million therefore understates the full loss, as explained by CineGlams.