‘Masters of the Universe’ Underperforms at Thursday Box Office Against Competition

Thursday night box office previews highlighted a stark difference between two major summer releases: Amazon MGM’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ and Paramount’s ‘Scary Movie.’ Both films debuted in theaters on the same night, yet their early performances told very different tales.

‘Scary Movie,’ the returning horror-comedy franchise from the Wayans family, led the evening with impressive momentum, raking in an estimated $7.5 million in Thursday previews. Industry analysts noted that this figure indicates strong interest ahead of its full weekend rollout, especially for a comedy sequel returning after a significant hiatus.

Interestingly, the highest single preview result of the night belonged to ‘The Amazing Digital Circus,’ which garnered $7.8 million. However, this figure is expected to be heavily front-loaded, suggesting it may not translate into sustained box office success.

In contrast, ‘Masters of the Universe’ fell significantly short in Thursday previews, earning only $4 million. Directed by Travis Knight and based on the classic Mattel franchise, the film is performing in line with some earlier nostalgia-driven releases, but it clearly lags behind its main competitor as the weekend approaches.

Both films kicked off early screenings at 2 PM, a common summer strategy aimed at attracting younger audiences and eager fans. Despite this similar rollout, ‘Scary Movie’ succeeded in drawing a larger early crowd.

The disparity in performance has led analysts to draw comparisons between ‘Masters of the Universe’ and other legacy franchise revivals. Similar early numbers were observed in films like ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife,’ which opened with $4.5 million in previews, and ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,’ which slightly surpassed that with $4.7 million. These comparisons indicate that while He-Man retains some brand recognition, it is not generating the breakout demand seen with top-tier franchise revivals.

On the other hand, ‘Scary Movie’ is capitalizing on a different kind of appeal. The film heavily parodies recent horror hits and pop culture trends, likely drawing more immediate audience interest. Its marketing has focused on unpredictability and irreverent humor, which seems to resonate well with younger moviegoers.

‘Masters of the Universe’ serves as a live-action reboot of the 1987 film and the broader He-Man franchise. The narrative follows Prince Adam as he returns to Eternia to embrace his destiny as He-Man and confront Skeletor. The cast features Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, Idris Elba, among others. This project has been in development for years, transitioning between studios before finally landing at Amazon MGM Studios.

Directed by Travis Knight, known for his work on ‘Bumblebee,’ the film was positioned as a serious attempt to revive the fantasy franchise with a modern twist. It premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre on May 18, 2026, and was released in the United States on June 5, 2026.

While critical reception has generally been mixed to positive, the early box office numbers indicate a more competitive struggle ahead, particularly against stronger-performing genre releases in the same weekend window.

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