Mattel Banks On Gen X To Boost ‘Masters Of The Universe’

Mattel is banking on Gen X to pass the torch and give the Masters of the Universe movie and toys a multi-generational boost.

The MGM and Mattel Masters of the Universe big-screen adaptation hits movie theaters in the U.S. on June 5. Describing He-Man as a niche fan-favorite IP, Jess Kirkman, Global Head of Brand Creative at Mattel, broke down how it hopes the original Masters of the Universe fans will open up that world for a new generation.

“There’s a specific audience that knows the He-Man era, and it’s a lot from the ’80s, the Gen X’ers, mostly. These people are going to want to go see the movie, we have these die-hard fans,” she said at Web Summit Vancouver. “There are these stories that are so important, and they have not necessarily been translated to the younger generation that we sell toys to.

“He-Man, Skeletor, Masters of the Universe, She-Ra, Evil-Lyn — they’re actually being shared from parent generation down to kid through storytelling. They’re introducing a whole new generation to the stories first and then to the toy.”

The success of Barbie underscored the blockbuster potential of legacy toy brands on the big screen. Nicholas Galitzine stars as He-Man in Masters of the Universe, alongside Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, Morena Baccarin, James Purefoy, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson and Charlotte Riley.

Kirkman also noted that Masters of the Universe emerged differently than many other franchises from the era.

“Masters of the Universe is one of the first brands that started as a toy, and it came with a comic, and then it turned into a show and a series, versus a lot of toys of the ’80s and ’90s that started as shows and later became toy lines,” she said.