Masters of the Universe early box office estimates are in, and the long-range forecast points to a soft start for He-Man at the box office.
BoxOfficePro has the movie tracking for a $25 million to $35 million domestic opening weekend, which lines up with the audience tracking we’ve been following.
Deadline also reports early tracking around the same range, with Masters of the Universe and Scary Movie both eyeing $35 million-plus openings the week of June 5th.
Masters of the Universe Tracking Still Looks Soft
The Quorum tracking has not shown a major breakout yet.
As of this week, Masters of the Universe has a 40 awareness score, up two points from where it was previously. However, its interest score is only 41, down one point.
That means more people know the movie exists, but interest is not growing with awareness. For a big studio IP release, that is a concern.
The Quorum says an interest score above 50 is desirable, while tentpoles usually want to be above 60. Masters of the Universe is still well below that mark.
Mortal Kombat II Is The Warning Sign
The obvious comparison here is Mortal Kombat II.
Mortal Kombat II had stronger box office estimates and better audience tracking than Masters of the Universe, but still underperformed. The sequel opened to $38.5 million domestic, below earlier $50 million talk and even below the revised $40 million-plus estimates.
As of Wednesday, Mortal Kombat II has still to hit $100M worldwide and is only at $75M.
That is not a great sign for Masters of the Universe, which is heading into release with lower early interest and is aimed at the same fans: a male-heavy audience with a CGI-driven action movie built around fights, spectacle, and nostalgia.
Masters of the Universe Has A Few Advantages
Masters of the Universe could have a little more room to play with families.
The movie is rated PG-13, and it appears to be more kid-friendly than Mortal Kombat II. That could help bring in younger viewers, especially if parents who grew up with He-Man take their kids.
The nostalgia factor could also help, but it cuts both ways.
Similar to Mortal Kombat, Masters of the Universe is another property tied to an older fanbase. The key question is whether Amazon MGM can make younger moviegoers care about He-Man, Skeletor, and Eternia in 2026. Right now, the tracking does not show a huge rush.
A red flag is also that the producers have constantly compared MOTU to the success of Barbie, not realizing the two are completely different properties and films. What’s worrisome is if that “Barbie” mentality makes its way into MOTU.
Marketing Still Has Time
Masters of the Universe still has three weeks to go before it opens, so the movie is not dead in the water.
A stronger marketing push, new footage, reviews, social reactions, or a viral moment could still move the needle. The new posters look really cool, and marketing, smartly, seems to have moved away from the cringe scenes in the Earth setting.
The movie also has the benefit of being a recognizable brand, even if it has not had a major theatrical presence in decades.
However, the early numbers suggest the studio still has work to do.
A $25 million to $35 million opening would not be a disaster on its own, but it would be soft for a major IP play with franchise hopes.
Jared Leto Is Missing From The Marketing Push
Another interesting piece is the lack of star power driving the movie.
Jared Leto plays Skeletor, but he is unrecognizable in the role and has not been used as the face of the campaign. The studio also appears to have kept him out of the marketing, likely due to recent controversies.
Leto’s Instagram account has 11.4 million followers, but as of now, it has nothing related to Masters of the Universe. No trailers. No images. No character poster. Nothing.
For a movie trying to build awareness, losing that kind of promotional reach does not help.
He-Man Needs A Late Surge
Masters of the Universe is not opening from a position of strength.
The $25 million to $35 million forecast fits with the current Quorum tracking. Awareness is moving up, but interest is not.
The Mortal Kombat II comparison is also hard to ignore, since that movie entered release with better signs and still came in below expectations.
Masters of the Universe could still surprise if families show up, if nostalgia kicks in, or if the final marketing push lands. It will definitely need legs and an international audience that turns out.
For now, He-Man needs a late surge.
