Jon M. Chu, the man bringing GI JOE: RETALIATION to the big screen (whenever that actually may be), is also onboard as director for the MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE reboot, and took a moment to explain the film’s the tone, why he’s excited, and how big a fan he is of the toys and cartoon.
He’s no longer skeptical.
“I was approached about doing a Masters of the Universe movie and while at first I was skeptical…I read the script and I was blown away. I had no idea what to expect but it was such a fresh, UNEXPECTED approach I was immediately intrigued. I never expected to connect on a human level to a MOTU movie but I really plugged in emotionally. That alone, got me excited to see what we could do with the property.”
He’s experimenting.
“I feel like there’s a lot of room to crack open the Masters of the Universe story. We are still in our process and I think we have some great seeds planted but making one of these types of movies RIGHT takes a lot of TONAL tightroping so we’re just going to play for the next several months. Play with designs, play with the characters, try new things, maybe go too far on some things and pull back. The process is really important to find where the right line is so we can land right on it. I think that’s what can dig out the properties full potential for a cinematic rebirth.”
He’s like us.
“I LOVED the toys growing up. I had Grayskull, I had BattleCat/Cringer, I had Stratos and Orko and obviously He-Man and Skeletor. I also watched the cartoon a lot growing up. This is my era, so going to Mattel to visit their headquarters was like walking into a childhood fantasy. For every MOTU fan out there, it felt like it was time and I wanted to make sure to protect it in the process.”
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE concerns Prince Adam, who becomes He-Man, as he battles Skeletor to save Eternia. Beyond that, we have no idea what the movie will be like, and when it’s coming, though 2014 or 2015 is a safe bet.
