‘Masters of the Universe’ debuts to soft opening as superhero genre struggles continue

Amazon MGM Studios’ “Masters of the Universe” became the latest example of superhero fatigue at the box office, opening to a soft $29.3 million domestically and landing in second place behind the horror parody “Scary Movie” last weekend. Globally, the film made $54 million.

The weak debut was widely expected given the broader struggles facing such films in the U.S. Even once-unstoppable juggernauts from Marvel Studios have seen smaller box office revenues in recent years, compared to their past hits. The film’s challenge was compounded by the fact that “Masters of the Universe” was intended to reintroduce the ‘80s-era action hero He-Man to a new audience — meaning the brawny character had less name recognition to draw on.

“Superhero stories have softened, particularly the launch of new heroes,” said David A. Gross, who writes the movie industry newsletter FranchiseRe. “This is an old franchise. So it was starting from scratch.”

Amazon MGM called the opening weekend a “solid start” for “Masters of the Universe,” saying the film had multi-generational appeal, and hinting at its additional revenue streams.

“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,” Kevin Wilson, the studio’s head of domestic theatrical distribution, said in a statement Sunday.

Mattel Chief Executive Ynon Kreiz said last week that “Masters of the Universe” didn’t need to match the success of “Barbie” “to have a meaningful economic impact on the company.” The movie is part of Mattel Inc.’s strategy to continue extending its toy brands into the entertainment arena. It is Mattel Studios’ first film in theaters since the 2023 smash hit “Barbie.”

The reboot of the 2000s-era “Scary Movie” franchise — or “rebootiquel,” as the movie calls itself — brought in $55 million in the U.S. and Canada for a worldwide total of $105.5 million, according to studio estimates. The movie, which had a production budget of $30 million, beat studio expectations, becoming the biggest R-rated comedy opening in more than a decade.

It was also distributor Paramount’s biggest opening for a comedy ever. Miramax led the production and financing of the film.

Shaun Barber, head of domestic theatrical distribution at Paramount Pictures, credited the extensive marketing campaign, which included stunts with the stars in New York City’s Times Square.

“It really became part of the cultural zeitgeist, from horror films and internet culture to sports and social media trends,” Barber said Sunday. “The return of the Wayans family and brothers to the franchise, along with the legacy cast, and Anna Faris and Regina Hall, definitely helped as well. And then, I just think people want to laugh.”

The franchise was developed by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Keenen Ivory Wayans. But after 2001’s “Scary Movie 2,” the Wayans got into a pay dispute with former Miramax executives Bob and Harvey Weinstein. The Wayans have said the Weinsteins did not tell them that 2003’s “Scary Movie 3” would be made without them. The franchise then continued with fourth and fifth installments.

After former MGM film executive Jonathan Glickman was named chief executive of Miramax in 2024, he reached out to Marlon Wayans to see if he’d be interested in reviving “Scary Movie.”

“Always dreamt of having this moment again,” Wayans said, while thanking Glickman and executive producer Marc Weinstock during a short speech at the movie’s premiere. “I thank you guys for having the vision to go, there’s only one way to do the next ‘Scary Movie,’ and that’s to bring the Wayans family back.”

Internationally, the film overperformed, particularly in Latin America, where the Wayans brothers are especially popular.

“Comedies don’t translate as well overseas,” said Mark Viane, president of international theatrical distribution at Paramount Pictures. “But as we were translating the jokes through our dubs and subtitles and making it really relevant, it’s like we were making a local comedy, and that’s really what helped push it.”

A24’s runaway hit “Backrooms” came in third at the box office this weekend, continuing its strong performance with a haul of $25.9 million. Focus Features’ “Obsession” ($25.6 million) and another YouTube-native property, “The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act,” ($12.7 million) rounded out the top five at the box office, according to Comscore data.