MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (Director Speaks)

• MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

It was reported back in July that director Jon M. Chu was being targeted for the Masters of the Universe film and he's officially on it now. In an interview with Celebuzz, he spoke about why he chose the project, at which stage it is, and how much of a fan he was.

Jon M. Chu

"I was approached about doing a Masters of the Universe movie and while at first I was skeptical," said Chu, "I read the script and I was blown away. I had no idea what to expect but it was such a fresh, UNEXPECTED approach I was immediately intrigued. I never expected to connect on a human level to a MOTU movie but I really plugged in emotionally. That alone, got me excited to see what we could do with the property."

Chu also feels that the prospects of doing the film are almost limitless: "I feel like there’s a lot of room to crack open the Masters of the Universe story. We are still in our process and I think we have some great seeds planted but making one of these types of movies RIGHT takes a lot of TONAL tightroping so we’re just going to play for the next several months. Play with designs, play with the characters, try new things, maybe go too far on some things and pull back. The process is really important to find where the right line is so we can land right on it. I think that’s what can dig out the properties full potential for a cinematic rebirth."

And so fans don't have to worry about it, Chu is a fan. "I LOVED the toys growing up. I had Grayskull, I had BattleCat/Cringer, I had Stratos and Orko and obviously He-Man and Skeletor. I also watched the cartoon a lot growing up. This is my era, so going to Mattel to visit their headquarters was like walking into a childhood fantasy. For every MOTU fan out there, it felt like it was time and I wanted to make sure to protect it in the process."

Sony and Escape Artists' Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch have been developing the property, based on the popular Mattel toy line that originated in 1982 and spawned several animated series along with a 1987 live-action film.

Masters of the Universe follows Prince Adam, who transforms into a warrior called He-Man and becomes the last hope for a magical land called Eternia, ravaged by technology and the evil Skeletor.