Grayskull: Masters of the Universe - Part 2

[Panthro]

I'd love to see this...but without Prince Adam, Orko and other childish nonsense. I want a barbarian movie with magic and high tech weapons....something closer to the old mini-comics than the cartoon.

The 1987 film did away with Prince Adam & Orko while mashing up barbarians with high tech weapons and look at how well that film did at the box office... and I'm saying that as someone who still has a soft spot in his heart for that film.

I'm not saying I want a new He-Man film to be loaded with over the top goofiness but the dual identity of Prince Adam & He-Man has been central to the franchise for too long to not use in a future adaptation of the property. As for Orko, well, I'm sure there's a way to have him in there that doesn't provoke a Jar Jar Binks style backlash.

 

[Thundarr]

Who can be cast as He-Man though. Chris Hemsworth would be perfect but way too similar to Thor for him to accept the role.

That's the question. I know no one wants a wrestler in the role of He-Man, but I honestly think that's the best way to go. Where else are you gonna find guys with the size, build, AND the charisma to play the part? Only question is, which one?

 

[Heretic]

And yet, the whole thing is as successful and as well-remembered as it is thanks in large part to the cartoon.

But the thing I'm wondering is, what's so interesting about a Prince Adam-free He-Man anyway?

It's more like, what is NOT lame and stupid about Prince Adam? The character was created in the cartoon and SUCKED in the cartoon. So, I see no basis to even like him as a character.

 

[Heretic]

The 1987 film did away with Prince Adam & Orko while mashing up barbarians with high tech weapons and look at how well that film did at the box office... and I'm saying that as someone who still has a soft spot in his heart for that film.

I'm not saying I want a new He-Man film to be loaded with over the top goofiness but the dual identity of Prince Adam & He-Man has been central to the franchise for too long to not use in a future adaptation of the property. As for Orko, well, I'm sure there's a way to have him in there that doesn't provoke a Jar Jar Binks style backlash.

Come on...you know that film was in no way a representation of early He-Man.

 

[Thundarr]

It's more like, what is NOT lame and stupid about Prince Adam? The character was created in the cartoon and SUCKED in the cartoon. So, I see no basis to even like him as a character.

In the 80's series, yeah the Prince Adam character was pretty lame. Not only was the character himself pretty useless, I think he was also (possibly unintentionally) portrayed as gay. Plus, Adam and He-Man looked identical. So how was it that no one realized that they were one and the same?

In the 2002 reboot, Prince Adam was a more well rounded character. A more interesting person with flaws. Plus he and He-Man looked similar, but not identical (kinda like how my nephews and I look a lot alike). So the whole "secret identity" thing makes more sense.

 

[Teelie]

It's more like, what is NOT lame and stupid about Prince Adam? The character was created in the cartoon and SUCKED in the cartoon. So, I see no basis to even like him as a character.

This reminds me much of TMNT where a lot of the story was altered from the very dark, graphic and violent comic into a kid-friendly comedy cartoon and then that adapted into a movie.

Should that movie have gone the much darker route too since it wasn't true to the original comic?

How much should the origin of a story be adhered to when it's overshadowed by a more popular interpetation later, only for that interpetation to be suceeded by yet another?

Serious questions there.

 

[Dark Raven]

Maybe he doesn't want to play a similar role again, but how about Chris Hemsworth as He-Man? Maybe people have suggested him already? Edit: I see people have.

Well Tom Hiddleston or Benedict Cumberbatch could play Skeletor.

Maybe Brian Cranston as Duncan/ Man-at-Arms?

 

[superhero]

what about the rock? I thought he would be good as he-man.

 

[Dark Raven]

I honestly prefer for someone who can act who then puts on the muscle than someone who is a muscle head who then has to try to act.

 

[terry78]

I remember Jason Lewis was in line back in the day as a fan favorite but he's gotten a little too old for it.

 

[Jordacar]

This reminds me much of TMNT where a lot of the story was altered from the very dark, graphic and violent comic into a kid-friendly comedy cartoon and then that adapted into a movie.

Should that movie have gone the much darker route too since it wasn't true to the original comic?

Except it was true to the original comic. The Turtles may not have been cutting heads off, but huge chunks of the plot were taken straight from the early issues while completely ignoring the crazier sci-fi aspects of the cartoon. The Foot Clan were humans and not robots, Shredder was scary a badass, the Turtles stalked around in the shadows and said "Damn" a lot, no Krang or Dimension X, etc.

A lot of this was due to the budget they had, and the violence was toned down to be accessible to the cartoon's viewers, and I'm sure Burton's Batman had a lot to do with the overall tone, but the first movie was much closer to the comics than the cartoon.

 

[slumcat]

what about the rock? I thought he would be good as he-man.

The Rock is doing Hercules which would be a very similar role for him.

 

[slumcat]

Maybe they should just cast Ben Affleck as He-Man and then everyone here will joyously celebrate as if it were Christmas.

 

[Heretic]

This reminds me much of TMNT where a lot of the story was altered from the very dark, graphic and violent comic into a kid-friendly comedy cartoon and then that adapted into a movie.

Should that movie have gone the much darker route too since it wasn't true to the original comic?

How much should the origin of a story be adhered to when it's overshadowed by a more popular interpetation later, only for that interpetation to be suceeded by yet another?

Serious questions there.

My honest answer...it depends...and I'm not the universal god of what should count, and am likely "wrong" here. I'm just stubborn.

The original Batman and Superman are NOT the definitive takes on the characters. However, when they were defined I feel that future interpretations should stay true to those aspects. That' why I can't stand Man of Steel, because it wildly strays from the elements that are necessary for the definitive Superman. I feel that Captain America is even "worse"...in that I never really felt like he was truly defined until his recent run (Winter Soldier arc and before). Until then, he just felt like a poorly defined DC rip-off to me. For those of us who got into He-Man very early in the game, many of us HATED the cartoon. The first time I saw the cartoon I was floored. That was not the character I read about in the mini-comics and certainly not the tone of adventures I acted out with the toys. However, let's face it....to the vast majority, that IS He-Man. Like TMNT, It's a situation where the definitive take on the character is childish.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Philip Winchester for He-Man. Hell, Winchester for everything.

 

[Airwings]

However, let's face it....to the vast majority, that IS He-Man. Like TMNT, It's a situation where the definitive take on the character is childish.

The cartoon added childish stuff. But who to say they can't use this very stuff and turn it in the oposite direction? To make it more serious and violent.
That means no henchmen acting as five year old ******s, but actually as dangerous as they're supposed to do. I mean, Trap Jaw and Tri-Klops are not people you want to meet in a dark alley
What should they do with Orko? I would like to see him more of a real wizard type, but a little more naive. A combination of Frodo and Gandalf, perhaps?

 

[Teelie]

My reasoning is that just because the original story is altered and the altered form is more popular than the original does not mean that any subsequent work should adhere to the original work itself and ignore the more popular, altered story.

If including Adam in the movie works then it shouldn't be ignored for a purist take on the story. If it's forced into the movie mainly because it's from the far more well known cartoon then it probably won't work too well either and shouldn't be included although it will still leave people asking where Adam is.

That's where I see a problem on igonring the more popular interpetation. People are going to come into this expecting to see a story and characters loosely based on what they know and in this case it's overwhelmingly the cartoon. Leaving out Adam, Orko and anything else exclusive to the cartoon is going can be problematic if they want to draw in an audience.

TMNT as a cartoon was/is far more popular than its comic book counterpart and the movie despite hewing closer to the comic's origins is still much more related to the cartoon interpetation. There was nowhere near the violence that the comic had and despite dropping the more fantastical (and technologically difficult to impossible) parts of the cartoon it was more closely adapted to it than the comic.

Shredder, a basically bit player in the comic book takes center stage in the movie, just as in the cartoon. April is a reporter in the movie and cartoon and a lab assistant in the comic.

There is just only so much you can ignore from a more popular interpetation of a story before it will lose the audience.

 

[terry78]

The thing with Orko is that his magic is insanely powerful and rivals many of Skeletor's own dark magics, but in Eternia's dimension it works backwards, so all of his skills end up backfiring.

 

[Heretic]

Keep in mind, I'm not suggesting that they stick STRICTLY to the mini-comics. The audience has aged...the average He-Man fan is getting close to 40 years old. The movie should take the concept into a direction that would appeal to the mindset of that age range. Some properties...like Smurfs...are clearly for kids and should stay that way even if modern kids have never heard of it...but He-Man is a case where I think the tone should be more adult.

And honestly...I feel like so much has to be explained already, the less characters that you have to explain (like Orko), the better.

 

[TheVileOne]

Glad Jon Chu is off this project. He's not a great director.

 

[Airwings]

The thing with Orko is that his magic is insanely powerful and rivals many of Skeletor's own dark magics, but in Eternia's dimension it works backwards, so all of his skills end up backfiring.

He was under some dark influence once. I think someone had cast a spell on him, or something. Don't really remember. But it made his powers work as they're supposed to do. He got really dangerous and was about to kill Hordak. The Horde leader didn't had much of a chance there. But He-Man saved the day by reasoning with Orko, not fighting him.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Here's some casting ideas -

He-Man - Jai Courtney
Man-At-Arms - Sean Bean
Teela - Rachelle Lefevre
Orko - Kristen Schaal (who says Orko has to be male?)
Stratos - Kevin McKidd
Zodac - Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Ram-Man - Dean Norris
King Randor - Dolph Lundgren
Queen Marlena - Chelsea Field
The Sorceress - Gillian Anderson
Skeletor - Guy Pearce
Evil-Lynn - Tilda Swinton
Beast-Man - Terry Crews
Trap-Jaw - Danny Trejo
Tri-Clops - Ray Stevenson
Mer-Man - Walton Goggins

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

Glad Jon Chu is off this project. He's not a great director.

He's not even a good one either.

 

[TheVileOne]

I was trying to be nice. I gave him a chance with GI JOE 2 and he failed IMHO.

But I mean if he does another GI JOE, good for him. I'd rather he stay there than do He-Man.

 

[Octoberist]

Keep in mind, I'm not suggesting that they stick STRICTLY to the mini-comics. The audience has aged...the average He-Man fan is getting close to 40 years old. The movie should take the concept into a direction that would appeal to the mindset of that age range. Some properties...like Smurfs...are clearly for kids and should stay that way even if modern kids have never heard of it...but He-Man is a case where I think the tone should be more adult.

And honestly...I feel like so much has to be explained already, the less characters that you have to explain (like Orko), the better.

A He-Man that appeals to 40 years olds? Sorry I had to giggle.