“He-Man” is making a comeback. The 1980s animated series “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,” which specialized in bulked-up characters on the magical planet Eternia, is getting a makeover at Netflix as a CG animated series.
The streamer and Mattel Television are producing the rebooted fantasy superhero series for a new generation. But fans can still enjoy the exploits of Extendar, Man-At-Arms, Gwildor and Battle Cat.
The original story concerned young Prince Adam, transformed into He-Man after discovering the powers of Grayskull. The current pitch: “The classic battle between He-Man and evil Skeletor rages to new heights as both hero and villain forge new and mighty teams. A new generation of heroes fighting for the fate of us all.”
Bryan Q Miller (“Arrow,” “Smallville,” “Sleepy Hollow”) will serve as story editor on the animated series. Rob David, who is also co-producing for Mattel, developed the series for television.
The new “He-Man” CG animated series is a compliment to Kevin Smith’s anime series “Masters of the Universe: Revelation,” a sequel to the original 1983 TV series, which is also scheduled to run on Netflix.
The “Masters of the Universe” franchise rebook also includes a comic-book series by DC Comics and a new toy line, available in fall 2020.
Mattel released the original He-Man action figure in 1982; the franchise backstory was developed by the Filmation animation studio.
Separately, Netflix announced it producing a feature film based on its documentary “The Legend of Cocaine Island,” starring Will Ferrell.