A "Back to basics" pre-Filmation reboot movie: would / could it work?

[Spacedust]

I've been thinking about this for a while....

One of the problems I've always seen in executing an MOTU movie is that the franchise Universe is just so very large and varied. No matter what area (or indeed era) you focus on, there's instantly gonna be people calling out "but where's She-Ra / x popular character / x obscure character" etc.

Also, I think we might be able to say that the franchise is sometimes (unjustly) seen by 'the general public' as rather babyish, thanks mostly to the Filmation days (and I'm a hardcore Filmation fan, but on hindsight do admit that it maybe didn't do the overall franchise many favours).

I've been delighted in recent years to find so many other users on this forum to share my first main love of MOTU ... the early "barbarian" pre-Filmation mythos. The darker, edgier mythos that saw He-Man as a wandering barbarian, on a world seemingly recovering from a great war. Even with the second wave developments to the plot, the scenario saw a wonderful medieval hybrid world with so many possibilities and mysteries.
How would you feel about any new movie "rebooting" back to this earlier version of the franchise - even if it does mean aborting some of the later concepts (for now, at least)? It seems this earlier, much edgier world was never really explored, and it often frustrates me that many associate MOTU with the Filmation days ("What? The toys came out before the cartoon??").

After the "lets try as many new avenues as possible" days of the 1990s and 200s, reboots back to original, earlier versions are becoming more the norm nowadays, tapping into the potential of original concepts.
It would present a tighter, more focused world, and I think it would be a bold, gently radical move that would make "the general public" sit up and take notice once again, get some new interest in the franchise, and finally let the world know that there was a darker, scarier Eternia before the child-friendly Filmation version - which in turn might welcome the general public back to later incarnations of the franchise in due course.

Let's go back to the days where Skeletor was THE villain, a deranged demon seemingly intent on causing various misfortunes to Teela; Where He-Man fought multi-limbed monsters with his ax; Where Tri-Klops was a wild barbarian (that whole "scientist" thing never suited him IMO); Trap Jaw was a blood-thursty murderer from a parallel world; The Sorceress (Goddess) hung out in her cobra armor in woodlands talking to animals, and Teela ... well Teela had blonde hair!!
And if it needs to be incorporated into the more established continuity, hey, they can just do a 2010 'Star Trek', explain it away as a parallel existence. Don't kill the other continuities, just add to them with a "what if / also".

I'm not sure it ever would happen, I suppose it would just seem too risky. But for me, it would be my MOTU dream come true. Any thoughts / ideas / comments on the subject are more than welcome

[VZX]

I 100% fully agree with you. The early mini-comics version of Masters of the Universe is the most cinematic. It would be more adult/barbarian oriented and less super-hero-ish. It would also be the easiest to do and, perhaps, the cheapest. I think that with the right story, a great MotU movie can be made with a small budget. If it does well, increase the budget for the sequels.

I always cite the first Star Wars and Star Trek II:TWOK as perfect examples on how to create an epic and amazing movie with a small budget. It CAN be done with MotU, and they can still keep the whole movie on Eternia.

[McHorde-Trooper]

With modern technology and a little old green screen (or blue screen) they could produce an inexpensive movie based on the Filmation cannon.

I don't see why you'd have to dumb down the story to a Conan the Barbarian re-hash (already re-done in 2011 check imdb).

You just need really good writers to balance the needs of a new audience to understand and enjoy it without insulting (or boring) fans of the classic version.

[VZX]

So you'd rather dumb down the story to a Captain Marvel / Shazam re-hash?

If you want to make the movie geared towards the 5-9 year-old demographic, then I guess you could base it on Filmation. I wouldn't go see it, but I'm sure it would please the many Filmation fans. It would also get plenty of free press by being made fun of on talk shows and SNL.

[Eternian-King Paul]

I would say its clear they need to make two movies one that people who like Masters can see, and one that people who like 'what ever the other version is'.

Mostly I know that He-Man and She-Ra can be about ethics, and can teach everyone about differences, instead of making people upset.

[Krueger]

Because Conan bombed, I don't think we'll ever get a MOTU film more in line with the mini-comics. The movie would probably lean more towards sci-fi than old school fantasy. In short, I think it would look and feel more like Thor and less like Conan.

[Eternian-King Paul]

Will He-Man smash a coffee cup on the floor like a complete tool. . ?

[Krueger]

Will He-Man smash a coffee cup on the floor like a complete tool. . ?

Most definitely.

[VZX]

Because Conan bombed, I don't think we'll ever get a MOTU film more in line with the mini-comics. The movie would probably lean more towards sci-fi than old school fantasy. In short, I think it would look and feel more like Thor and less like Conan.

No, I don't think that the fact that Conan bombed would diminish the possibilities of a MotU movie based on it's original, pre-Filmation version. Conan was rated R, which is always a hard sale. MotU would almost certainty be rated PG-13. That alone should be enough to differentiate the two.

But, I like your idea of MotU being based on the look and feel of the Thor movie. That's a neat idea.

[Akai]

A movie based more on the mini-comics would be quite touch however, since the Filmation version is the most recognizable, it would be more marketable if the movie were based on that installment. It would still have to be appeal to a wide audience in order to be successful.

[Eternian-King Paul]

I think these movies would need to go back to the basics of storytelling.

..How about Masters of the Universe isn't about He-Man at all, it's about a message.
(in filmation this was litterally true,, in the last 30secs of the show)

..
I also think that people that like the barbarian He-Man, like that he can 'become more' on the advanced/magical world of Eternia.
(this I think leads me to think that he is an ultimate acheiver, and the best a character can be)
(weither he starts out with nothing, in my opinion, don't matter)

Why not a story about the king's greatest son, wanting more.