‘Masters of the Universe’ Stumbles at the Box Office With Worse-Than-Expected Opening

The box office performance of Masters of the Universe has come in below expectations, according to early industry reporting from box office analysts and trade coverage tracking the weekend results.

The Amazon MGM Studios film, which is a $170 million production based on the Mattel toy franchise, opened in theaters with a softer start than predicted.

On its first Friday, including previews, the film earned around $11.7 million domestically. Early estimates place its opening weekend total at roughly $30.1 million. While this is not a complete failure, it is significantly lower than what the studio and tracking reports had hoped for in the lead-up to release.

The film is part of a larger strategy from Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel to revive the Masters of the Universe brand for a new generation. The goal included boosting interest in the classic He-Man toy line and expanding its presence in modern pop culture again. Despite that ambition, early audience turnout suggests the film is not connecting strongly with younger viewers.

According to the same box office reporting, audience demographics leaned older than expected. Viewers over 35 made up a large portion of the audience, while children under 12 represented only a small percentage. This is important because the movie was designed to appeal to families and younger audiences as well as longtime fans of the original 1980s franchise.

The audience breakdown also showed a strong male skew. Around two-thirds of viewers were men, and a significant portion of the audience came from older fans who grew up with the original animated series. This suggests that nostalgia is driving much of the turnout rather than new audience growth.

Early audience reactions were mixed but not completely negative. The film received a B CinemaScore from opening-night audiences. It also earned a moderate recommendation score, with younger viewers reacting more positively than older ones in some exit surveys. However, these reactions did not translate into a stronger box office opening.

Industry reporting also notes that the film faced strong competition during its release window. Other major releases, including comedies and horror films performing above expectations, pulled audience attention away. This broader box office environment may have contributed to the softer debut.

Marketing efforts for Masters of the Universe were significant, with reports indicating heavy advertising across sports broadcasts and major television events. However, rival studios also spent heavily during the same period, which may have reduced the film’s visibility in a crowded media landscape.

Despite the weaker-than-expected start, there is still some hope that the film could stabilize in the coming weeks. International box office results have not yet been fully reported, and some analysts believe overseas markets could help improve its overall performance.

Still, based on current domestic numbers, the opening is being viewed as disappointing for a major studio tentpole. For a high-budget fantasy action film tied to a well-known franchise, expectations were much higher heading into release.

The final outcome will depend on how the film performs in its second weekend and whether audience interest grows through word of mouth. At the moment, however, Masters of the Universe is being described in industry coverage as a soft or underwhelming start at the box office, especially given its production scale and franchise potential.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!