If you go back a little ways, there was an incredibly positive script review of Grayskull: Masters of the Universe, the new take on the ultra-nostalgic world of He-Man. If you didn’t read about the script review, I suggest you check it out (see A Glimpse Of ‘Grayskull: Masters Of The Universe’).
MTV talked to the film’s screenwriter Justin Marks, who had some things to add; things that might just give you a wet willy if the script review didn’t do it for you.
Marks calls the movie a re-invention, explaining it as similar to (as Latino Review’s El Mayimbe compared it to in his script review) a “Batman Begins-ification” where a character/franchise is completely done over in a much more realistic, much less cheesy way. We saw this in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and this is what is planned for the upcoming remakes for Robocop, Red Sonja, and Conan.
On the project, Marks also said:
I grew up on the ‘He-Man’ cartoon and watched ‘He-Man’ six days a week. The notion that I think we most took from the cartoon are the characters, and trying to find a way that is true to them. Now, at the same time, we had to come up with why that is the way it is. I mean you’re talking about sword-and-sandal meets science fiction meets fantasy meets everything, and how does that all kind of blend into the same world? And so we had to come up with very specific rules that explained why Trapjaw looks the way he looks, and why Cyclops — who is awesome — looks the way he looks…. The script is very true to the characters — we’re not talking about putting nipples on the Trapjaw suit. But we had to come up with a reason again why Trapjaw would actually not just be something that’s totally absurd, but why he would need those bionic parts added to him; which gives a sort of sense of where [the movie] is going in some way.
I was always a huge He-Man fan when I was but a wee-tyke, jumping on my father’s back, making him be that bad-ass green tiger thing and I even liked the first live-action attempt, but only because I was still a kid when that came out, too. But here and now, in my mid(ish) 20s, the more I hear and read about this project, the more psyched I am. I don’t even remember anything from the storylines — just a few characters — but if they really tear at this thing and make it a true fantasy built for the now-adult fan base that is has, man, look out for this one.
I just really hope they stick to the name Adam in this one; the name He-Man alone is a little too cheesy for what it sounds like they’re doing here.
Oh, and did you hear? That dude from American Gladiators auditioned for the role 14 times and nailed every one of them!
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As long as they plan to focus on making the movie for the adult audience that loved the show as youths, as opposed to making a generation bridging film “for the whole family”, I’ll be psyched to see it
if they want why, then should read the masters of evil comics that came out awhile back, trapjaws was the best issue, mermans was tragic.
Yeah I agree for the most part with what you’re sayi….. WTF? Dude, just use Adam? Being a guy in his early 30’s, allow me to school you: It’s always been called HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE. Always. Every iteration. Seriously, go back and watch some old episodes. It’s the cornerstone of the franchise. Change what you will to make it work, but for the love of God, get serious. Batman is still Batman, running around like Batman. Bruce becomes Batman, no matter how ‘dark knight’ they went… you can change everything to make it real, but Optimus Prime is still a truck. Spiderman still got bit by a spider. Batman’s parents were still killed. Superman’s disguise is still a pair of glasses. I get you; mature angle, “He-Man” not matching… but if we rename everyone, it’s not the same universe.
I agree with Mikull’s comment in every respect. That said, I believe that a mature, more realistic portrayal of THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE would be awesome.
Well, Adam was a concept that came in for the show. He-Man in the mini comics that came with the figures was a barbarian from a tribe who chances upon the Goddess (eventually evolving into the Sorceress whom we know from the cartoon…Even the mini comics Teela was a clone of the Goddess!), who tells him his destiny to take up the sword and protect the powers of Castle Grayskull. There was no Adam or dual-identity until later. Also, the Power Sword was in two halves; one which He-Man wielded and the other that Skeletor wielded. Skeletor was after He-Man’s half in order to gain access to the secrets of Grayskull. So, there are other continuities besides the one from the cartoon.
I think he met that they should keep the idea that He-Man is Adam who is He-Man, and not just address the He-Man role the whole time as they did in Master’s of the Universe.
Which to be honest is one of my favorite movies from childhood ever, still to this day because today I appreciate the campiness especially when I have had a bit to much to drink.
So Mikull consider what the man was saying, and don’t do that uber geek out thing you just did there because it just scares the rest of us.
[...] script is written by Justin Marks (recently mentioned in our New ‘He-Man’ Is A ‘Batman Begins-ification’ story), who is currently a pretty popular writer, especially in the fanboy realms. Marks describes [...]