MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE might not have scored at the box office, but its streaming debut has made it a massive hit.
The movie, based on the popular ’80s cartoon HE-MAN, opened at $29.4 million, making $113.3 million worldwide against a reported $170 million production cost, per Parade. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE would drop out of the domestic box office’s Top 5 after three weeks.
“This is a soft opening for an action adventure with franchise and series potential,” David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe, told Variety. “Right now, the only fantasy heroes doing strong business are the biggest and most established superheroes, like SPIDER-MAN, DEADPOOL, WOLVERINE and SUPERMAN.”
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However, just days after dropping on Prime Video, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE has become the most-watched movie on the service worldwide. According to Amazon, this was all according to plan.
“[Director] Travis Knight and the entire cast and filmmaking team have delivered something truly special, and this opening is exactly the kind of critical first moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy — building awareness and engagement that will carry well beyond the theatrical window,” Amazon MGM’s domestic distribution chief, Kevin Wilson, said in a statement following the movie’s release.
While some have criticized Amazon MGM for putting MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE in theaters in the first place, saying the studio lost money, others pointed out that a theatrical run was the perfect way to generate positive word-of-mouth.
“Netflix has been lambasted over not bringing their movies to movie theaters, but Amazon may have shown precisely why it can be a smart move,” Jonathan Klotz, deputy editor at Giant Freakin Robot, wrote. “Kevin Wilson was right. The theatrical run gained the positive press they wanted to ensure a massive debut when it was available on streaming. Now there’s no sharing revenue with movie theaters, no arguing with foreign distributors, only subscribers to their own streaming service.”
Movieguide® reviewed MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE positively, pointing to its “uplifting moral, redemptive, pro-family content,” and praising its exciting action, fun performances, and many funny lines and situations,” adding, “All of this creates an exhilarating blend of action and comedy.”
While MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE might not have made a major mark at the box office, the movie’s performance on streaming shows that Amazon MGM might have cracked the code when it comes to blending theatrical releases and streaming debuts.
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