Kevin Smith Revives The Original Masters Of The Universe For Netflix Series
by Erik Amaya
It seems Kevin Smith has the power.
Deadline reports the uber-nerd and Clerks director will executive produce Masters of the Universe: Revelation. He will also serve as showrunner. The Netflix program is described as an “anime” limited series taking its cues from the original Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe of the 1980s. It will, in fact, pick up several “unresolved” storylines from that series.
But considering the original animated series was not really produced with on-going tales, the only plot left dangling concerned Teela finding out about her mother.
Nonetheless, Smith sees an overall shape to the storytelling and plans to honor it. “In Revelation, we pick up right where the classic era left off to tell an epic tale of what may be the final battle between He-Man and Skeletor!” he told fans during a surprise appearance at Power-Con over the weekend. “Brought to life with the most metal character designs Powerhouse Animation can contain in the frame, this is the Masters of the Universe story you always wanted to see as a kid!”
Hopefully, though, Skeletor will retain the voice of actor Alan Oppenheimer or at least someone who can do a good impression of it. Goofy Skeletor is key to setting Masters of the Universe apart.
The move continues to strengthen ties between Netflix and classic shows of the 1980s. It also underscores their commitment to a broader definition of anime. Maybe Harmony Gold should consider talking to them about a Robotech revival instead of trying to a make a feature film. Reportedly, the project is still at Sony, but it seems unlikely the will is there to make it happen. After the successful relaunches of Voltron and She-Ra, the streaming platform seems like a better fit.