Early Box Office Tracking Shows ‘Masters of the Universe’ May Underperform at Launch
Early box office tracking is starting to paint a mixed picture for the first weekend of June, where two major studio films are set to compete directly at the box office
On one side is Paramount and Miramax’s reboot of Scary Movie, directed by Michael Tiddes and written and produced by members of the Wayans family, including Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Keenen Ivory Wayans, along with Rick Alvarez. The film also brings back Anna Faris and Regina Hall, both closely associated with the earlier entries in the franchise.
On the other side is Amazon MGM Studios’ Masters of the Universe, directed by Travis Knight and starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man. The film is based on the classic Mattel toy franchise and has been developed as a large-scale live-action reboot with a reported production budget of over 170 million dollars.
According to early tracking data reported in the industry coverage, Scary Movie is currently leading in audience interest. Its first choice levels are significantly higher, reportedly close to three times that of Masters of the Universe. Current projections for Scary Movie are in the range of 35 to 40 million dollars for its domestic opening weekend, even before tickets officially go on sale.
The report notes that early interest for Scary Movie is especially strong among women under 25, followed by men across multiple age groups. The film is being positioned as both a return to the original tone of the franchise and a continuation of its early 2000s success. The Scary Movie series has a long box office history, with several entries opening above 40 million dollars domestically and a total worldwide gross close to 900 million dollars across the franchise.
For Masters of the Universe, early projections are less strong. The film is currently tracking toward a domestic opening of around 35 million dollars. That number is considered soft when compared to its large production budget and franchise expectations. Audience interest is strongest among men over 25, based on the same early tracking reports.
The film also carries a long history in Hollywood. The last major live-action version was released in 1987 and starred Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor. That version struggled at the box office and opened to just 4.8 million dollars domestically. Despite its poor performance, the franchise has remained active in animation and merchandising, which helped keep interest alive for a modern reboot.
Industry coverage also highlights how unusual this June release window is, with two major films competing directly instead of spreading out across different weekends. Both studios are now relying on strong word of mouth and audience turnout to push performance beyond early tracking expectations.
With both films still weeks away from release, the final box office outcome is not locked in. However, early numbers suggest that Scary Movie currently has the stronger position going into opening weekend, while Masters of the Universe faces a tougher path to meet expectations based on its budget and franchise potential.
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