The duo who wrote the big-screen reboot of “Predator” have signed on to write the big-screen reboot of “Masters of the Universe.”
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mike Finch and Alex Litvak will write the new “Masters” movie for Columbia.
The studio picked up movie rights to the 1980s Mattel toy property in the fall, when Mattel and Warner Bros. parted ways after the sides couldn’t agree on a creative vision.
The addition of the rising writers is the first major move on the property and signals the project is being rebuilt from the ground up. While at Warners, “Masters” went through several writers and in latter stages had John Stevenson, who co-helmed “Kung Fu Panda,” attached to direct.
Getting the go-ahead to tackle any major toy-brand film can be tricky. Depending on the property, writers and directors need to get a thumbs-up from the studio, which then has to win approval from the toy company. In the case of “Masters,” Mattel has story approval.
In their pitch, the writers attempted to balance a treatment that would convince the studio it was cinematic and keep the toy company satisfied that its characters were being portrayed appropriately.
When I was a kid I wanted a live action of this property pretty badly. And man did I regret getting what I wished for. Hopefully this time will be marginally better. Or, at the very least, not a Star Wars rip off.