Grayskull: Masters of the Universe - Part 2

[TheVileOne]

I had this thought there is a lot of fantasy making their way to tv. I think MOTU could probably work on TV. The problem I foresee is battlecat being a character you see weekly.

I've been hearing a lot of people say the mid level movie is dead in Hollywood. Those films which would fit in there are making their way to tv. If Motu is not a big enough name to warrant a budget big enough to make it a blockbuster type film. Then tv may be the only hope to ever see it in live action.

I wouldn't be against it in theory, however, my concern is still doing it on a TV schedule and budget.

The thing about weekly TV is even if a show has really good production values, you still have like a short turn around to deliver episodes. I mean look at a fantasy series like Once Upon a Time. It has a lot of special effects, but it does have a lot of cheesy, cheap looking visuals. I think Once Upon a Time is able to get away with it because the show has a lot of humor and silliness. It's also very much like a soap opera, which female fans love. It's all about melodrama, character relationships, machinations.

MOTU doesn't really have that edge, and all the concepts would be hard to pull off and look convincing on a TV budget.

 

[Paradox1]

I wouldn't be against it in theory, however, my concern is still doing it on a TV schedule and budget.

The thing about weekly TV is even if a show has really good production values, you still have like a short turn around to deliver episodes. I mean look at a fantasy series like Once Upon a Time. It has a lot of special effects, but it does have a lot of cheesy, cheap looking visuals. I think Once Upon a Time is able to get away with it because the show has a lot of humor and silliness. It's also very much like a soap opera, which female fans love. It's all about melodrama, character relationships, machinations.

MOTU doesn't really have that edge, and all the concepts would be hard to pull off and look convincing on a TV budget.

I was thinking more like Game of Thrones rather than Once upon A time. I think 13 episodes on a healthy budget could make it work. The Flash and LOT are heavy in vFX that come off well. It's not big budget movie effects but I don't really need that to be entertained.

 

[TheVileOne]

Paradox1, I mean in theory that sounds really cool, but here are some problems.

Masters of the Universe is pretty light, good vs. evil type stories. Game of Thrones is very shades of grey, adult and morally complex. Characters often acting in amoral ways. Dastardly deeds. That's why it has such adult appeal. It's a fantasy show for adults.

Also even in Game of Thrones, a lot of corners had to be cut in the first season. You might notice in the first season a lot of the major action and battles happen offscreen. It wasn't until the end of the second season that they staged the first major battle sequence with the Battle of Blackwater.

I don't think you could make MOTU into the next Game of Thrones. UNLESS, you basically want to make MOTU into a Game of Thrones type of show and basically turn it into a GOT thrones. Dark, bloody, violent, more morally complex. However, that has the potential to alienate and turn off a lot of fans.

Or you could make it like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. However, that show was probably done on the cheap.

But in terms of budget, how can they get a major GOT type of budget for this series? I don't see it happening.

 

[Alien Anal]

Lol. What you're visualizing isn't MOTU. Remember like all other 80's toys they were meant for kids. Like 10-12 year old kids and I'm sure you're not that. The cartoons and comics were more of the same. You've probably seen some adult version concept art and that's just an adult artist injecting their adult sensibilities made to look gritty.

Hah yeh you are probably right. I just think surely there is some comic out there that is a bit more serious and darker than the usual MOTU stuff that's around.

At least I got to enjoy imagining MOTU as a Frazetta/Fury Road/Conan hybrid for a while.

 

[Airwings]

Lol. What you're visualizing isn't MOTU. Remember like all other 80's toys they were meant for kids. Like 10-12 year old kids and I'm sure you're not that. The cartoons and comics were more of the same. You've probably seen some adult version concept art and that's just an adult artist injecting their adult sensibilities made to look gritty.

Isn't that exactly what we expect the director and the writers to do?

Seriously, who would want to see MOTU as an actual children's' film? Raise your hands if you do!

 

[aNarcHy2day]

I don't think that the option is either an adult-oriented film or a children oriented film. Why can't it be a film directed at both- though more the younger crowd than the older ones?

I think people from the last generation who have been fans of the franchise will tune in if it looks good but it needs to do well to attract the GenX who have a regular dose of Marvel to fall back on.

 

[aNarcHy2day]

I'll take this double post as an opportunity to also point out that making it into a Game of Thrones would be to betray the essence of the franchise. It should be a fun sorcery and sci-fi movie and if it ever comes to pass, that's what I'd go in expecting.

 

[Alien Anal]

Isn't that exactly what we expect the director and the writers to do?

Seriously, who would want to see MOTU as an actual children's' film? Raise your hands if you do!

Yehh I am curious as to what people consider to be the definitive MOTU that the film should be drawing inspiration from.

 

[Astro13Zombie]

edit

 

[Airwings]

Yehh I am curious as to what people consider to be the definitive MOTU that the film should be drawing inspiration from.

Part Star Wars (the new one), part LOTR.

 

[Alien Anal]

Part Star Wars (the new one), part LOTR.

I might have worded that poorly. What I mean is what MOTU comics or tv show is seen as the definitive MOTU that they will adapt to film

 

[Airwings]

A combination of mini comics, Filmation, the comic books and the 2002 series

 

[marcvader]

As a kid from the 80's a MOTU movie would be an amalgamation of Beastmaster, Krull, and Dune.

 

[Jordacar]

Off the top of my head, something that dresses like Game of Thrones, walks and talks like The Force Awakens.

 

[Airwings]

Conan/Narnia world
Star Trek technology

 

[TheVileOne]

The tone of The Force Awakens is what a new MOTU film should go for.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

The tone of The Force Awakens is what a new MOTU film should go for.

I agree.

 

[Airwings]

I agree too, but throw in elements from Flash Gordon, Willow and Neverending story (if we're going the 80s route)

 

[TheVileOne]

I think Willow comparisons are something they would want to avoid.

 

[rogue trooper]

As a kid from the 80's a MOTU movie would be an amalgamation of Beastmaster, Krull, and Dune.

If only the 87' film could have been more like those.

 

[Unbreakable Lex]

Beastmaster is such an underrated B movie! Loved it growing up, likely because it was so bad only children would appreciate it, but it had so many adult themes.

 

[Thundarr]

I found this on You Tube.

[YT]mzPzBYwjVk8#t=1818.063705[/YT]

Not bad for a fan film. With a bigger budget, better actors, and a feature length script, it might make some bank at the BO.

 

[Thundarr]

I think Willow comparisons are something they would want to avoid.

Why? Because the movie didn't do as well at the box office as they had hoped? (A budget of about $36 million and a BO of about $57 million for a net profit of about $21 million)

First of all, Willow happens to be one of my all time favorite sword & sorcery films from the 1980's. It's at least on par with movies like The Beastmaster and Conan The Destroyer (the latter being badly written but with very good production values). Though not as high on my list of favorites as Conan The Barbarian, it certainly ranks higher than many of Roger Coreman's sword & sorcery films (Death Stalker, Queen of the Barbarians, Ator The Fighting Eagle, etc).

Secondly, BO success doesn't necessarily equal quality film making. Look at another favorite of mine, The Princess Bride, for example. It was only marginally successful at the BO, but didn't truly become successful until it came out on home video. Another example is The Wizard Of Oz. It was actually a complete BO disaster when it was originally released. It didn't actually become successful until years later.

Was Willow very original? No. Did it borrow from a lot of other sword & sorcery stories, fairy tales, etc? Absolutely. Does that necessarily make it a bad movie? Heck no! It had everything in it that such a movie SHOULD have. Great action, an enjoyable hero that you WANT to root for, and a seemingly unstoppable villain.

As for the subject at hand (MOTU), I think that Airwings was referring to was how Willow blended action and humor together in such a way as to make the film enjoyable for both adults AND children. Make it a family film without it being JUST for kids. A MOTU movie should do something similar. It should be light enough that parents will feel comfortable taking their kids to see it, while at the same time be serious enough for the parents to not be checking their watch every few moments praying for the torture to end.

 

[TheVileOne]

I didn't think Willow was that good.

 

[marcvader]

I find Willow a step bellow Beastmaster but several above CtD, that was a total waste of a property.