Masters of the Universe struggles in early box office tracking

Global Box Office on X tracked a special early fan screening Wednesday that placed Masters of the Universe third in attendance, behind Backrooms and Obsession. The showing came a day before the usual Thursday night previews and raised questions about the film's opening weekend strength.

Midweek screenings typically draw smaller crowds, and early industry tracking in Variety puts the debut in the $33–40 million range. With a $170-million production budget, even a $40 million start would leave considerable ground to cover for profitability. Higher production costs and the demands of shared universes have tightened margins for big-budget tentpoles.

The new Masters of the Universe is the second live-action adaptation of the Mattel toy line, following the 1983 television series and the 1987 film starring Dolph Lundgren. Travis Knight directed the reboot; he previously helmed Bumblebee (2018), which starred Hailee Steinfeld and received generally positive reviews.

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