Trivia - Masters of the Universe (1987)

If you grew up in the 1980s, chances are you had a favorite toy that eventually found its way to the big or small screen. Today, Hollywood is all in on turning beloved toys and games into blockbuster movies. From the billion-dollar success of “Barbie” to “Transformers,” “The LEGO Movie,” and a growing slate of projects based on everything from “Hot Wheels” to “Monopoly,” nostalgia has become one of the entertainment industry's hottest commodities.

Long before today's toy-to-film craze took over the box office, there was “Masters of the Universe” (1987). Inspired by Mattel's wildly successful He-Man action figures and animated series, Cannon Films set out to bring the magical world of Eternia to life in an ambitious live-action adventure starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man, Frank Langella as the scene-stealing Skeletor, Courteney Cox, Chelsea Field, and a young Robert Duncan McNeill. Although the film wasn't a box office success upon its original release, it has since achieved cult-classic status and remains a beloved favorite among generations of He-Man fans. And with the all-new “Masters of the Universe” now streaming—featuring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man and Jared Leto as Skeletor—there's never been a better time to revisit the movie that first brought the iconic heroes and villains of Eternia to the big screen.

That brings me to the latest episodes of Hollywood Obsessed Podcast! In Episodes 181 and 182, I sit down with actor, director, and producer Robert Duncan McNeill for a fascinating two-part conversation about his remarkable career. Of course, we couldn't resist revisiting “Masters of the Universe,” where Robert shares behind-the-scenes stories from making the film, working alongside its incredible cast, and what it was like being part of one of the most memorable fantasy adventures of the '80s. If you're a fan of He-Man, “Star Trek: Voyager,” or great Hollywood stories, you won't want to miss these episodes.

To celebrate Robert's appearance on the podcast, I thought it would be fun to journey back to Eternia and uncover some of the fascinating trivia behind “Masters of the Universe”. So grab your Power Sword, crank up the nostalgia, and enjoy these fun facts about the movie that brought He-Man and Skeletor to life on the big screen. By the power of Grayskull... let's dive in!

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Before its release, Cannon Films boldly promoted “Masters of the Universe” as the "Star Wars of the 1980s," hoping the fantasy epic would launch a blockbuster franchise.

Dolph Lundgren was the first actor cast, while Frank Langella was the last major cast member to join the production.

Frank Langella accepted the role of Skeletor because his young son was a huge fan of the He-Man toys. Ironically, Langella would later call Skeletor one of his favorite roles of his career.

“Masters of the Universe” marked the feature film directorial debut of Gary Goddard.

Contrary to popular belief, the film was based on Mattel's original He-Man toy line, not the Filmation animated series. Producer Ed Pressman secured the movie rights before the cartoon debuted, meaning the toys—not the TV show—served as the film's inspiration.

Originally budgeted at $16.8 million, production costs climbed to $22 million, making it the most expensive film Cannon Films had ever produced.

Although many fans think this was He-Man's first theatrical adventure, it wasn't. The animated feature “He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword” was released in theaters in 1985.

Years before becoming Lt. Tom Paris on “Star Trek: Voyager,” Robert Duncan McNeill starred as Kevin Corrigan, an aspiring teenage musician who, alongside his girlfriend Julie Winston (played by a pre-Friends Courteney Cox), accidentally brings He-Man and Skeletor from Eternia to Earth after discovering the mysterious Cosmic Key.

Mattel initially placed strict rules on how He-Man could be portrayed. The hero wasn't allowed to swear, kill, or behave in any morally questionable way. As toy sales began to decline during production, however, the company relaxed its restrictions and gave director Gary Goddard greater creative freedom.

Meg Foster's unforgettable icy-blue eyes were almost hidden behind contact lenses, but filmmakers decided they made Evil-Lyn look even more sinister. Mattel also vetoed Foster's request to give the character long hair because it strayed too far from the toy's design.

Composer Bill Conti cleverly incorporated the Cosmic Key's six-note musical motif into the film's opening title music.

Robert Duncan McNeill recalled that Dolph Lundgren approached the role of He-Man with absolute dedication. Lundgren even traveled with a truck filled with gym equipment so he could work out between takes. While the rest of the cast joked around, McNeill remembered Lundgren staying focused because he knew the film could define his career.

Ironically, Lundgren later admitted he initially felt embarrassed about playing a character based on a toy. Today, however, “Masters of the Universe” is one of his most celebrated cult films.

Most of the Earth scenes were filmed in Whittier, California, with downtown Whittier transformed into the movie's fictional setting. Greenleaf Avenue served as the backdrop for many of the film's biggest action sequences.

At 6-foot-5 and boasting a bodybuilder's physique, Dolph Lundgren was simply too large to double convincingly. As a result, he performed nearly all of his own stunts.

During the sporting goods store battle, Lundgren's flowing blond hair extensions briefly caught fire after getting too close to the movie's pyrotechnics.

Anthony De Longis, who played Skeletor's henchman Blade, also trained Lundgren for the climactic sword duel between He-Man and Skeletor.

Playing Saurod proved painful for actor Pons Maar. His custom contact lenses severely impaired his vision, leaving him virtually blind while performing many of his action scenes.

To make Saurod appear to breathe like a reptile, the character's expanding throat was created using a hidden tube that Pons Maar inflated by blowing into it during filming.

Castle Grayskull's magnificent Throne Room wasn't a visual effect. The production combined two adjoining sound stages into one enormous set, creating what was reportedly Hollywood's largest movie set in more than forty years.

Robert Duncan McNeill has said that pretending to interact with imaginary creatures and effects on “Masters of the Universe” unexpectedly prepared him for the green-screen-heavy productions he would later work on throughout his television career.

Costume designer Julie Weiss and production designer William Stout successfully talked Dolph Lundgren out of wearing shorter kickboxing boots as He-Man. Their diplomacy preserved the character's now-iconic knee-high boot design.

Director Gary Goddard was initially unhappy with Lundgren's dialogue delivery and hoped to replace his voice with another actor. Contractual obligations prevented that from happening, so Lundgren instead re-recorded all of his dialogue during post-production.

Gwildor was created specifically for the movie because filmmakers felt Orko's floating animated design would have been far too expensive to realize using 1980s practical effects.

Veteran actor Billy Barty spent nearly three-and-a-half hours in the makeup chair every morning before stepping in front of the camera as Gwildor.

Robert Duncan McNeill affectionately remembered Billy Barty as one of the funniest people on set, joking that the veteran actor was rarely seen without a small cup containing his favorite adult beverage.

Cannon Films' financial problems were evident throughout production. Without the budget for a second unit, first-time director Gary Goddard personally supervised every insert shot, prop close-up, and pickup scene, creating an exhausting production schedule.

Tony Carroll's Beast Man makeup included oversized prosthetic teeth that prevented him from fully closing his mouth. After long hours in costume, saliva would collect inside the character's elaborate chinpiece.

Academy Award-winning visual effects legend Richard Edlund personally built three functioning Cosmic Keys for the film. They were so fragile that dedicated prop technicians were constantly repairing them between takes.

Miniature artists at Boss Film Studios recycled leftover model buildings from “Blade Runner” and “Ghostbusters” to create parts of the Earth's cityscape seen in the film.

Skeletor's soldiers were turned into robots because Mattel insisted He-Man could not be shown killing human opponents on screen.

Sadly, many of the downtown Whittier locations featured in the movie were badly damaged during the Whittier Narrows earthquake just months after filming wrapped.

Kevin Corrigan's high school band, The Illusions, wasn't just a fictional name. It was also the name of director Gary Goddard's real-life high school band, whose members even received a "Special Thanks" credit in the film.

Three days before filming was scheduled to wrap, Cannon Films ran out of money and shut down production. Although most of the movie had been completed, the climactic final battle between He-Man and Skeletor remained unfinished.

Two months later, Cannon executives found enough money to bring the cast and crew back so Gary Goddard could finally shoot the film's ending.

Anthony De Longis not only choreographed the unforgettable sword fight between He-Man and Skeletor—he also doubled for Frank Langella during portions of the battle.

Mattel held a nationwide contest with the grand prize being a role in the movie. Contest winner Richard Szponder appears as Pigboy, the creature who hands Skeletor his Havoc Staff after returning from Earth.

Gary Goddard has revealed that the original cut featured a much longer farewell sequence inspired by “The Wizard of Oz”, giving Julie Winston individual goodbye moments with each of the Eternian heroes. The studio ultimately shortened the scene, although the footage reportedly still exists.

“Masters of the Universe” was Dolph Lundgren's first starring role following his breakout success as Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV.” Despite its devoted fan base today, Lundgren has called it his least favorite performance.

Frank Langella, on the other hand, has repeatedly named Skeletor as one of the most enjoyable characters he has ever portrayed.

Fans of “Friend”s may notice another connection: Christina Pickles, who played Julie's mother in “Masters of the Universe,” later portrayed Judy Geller—the mother of Monica and Ross—while Courteney Cox famously played Monica Geller.

The Skeletor mask enjoyed a second life in the “Star Trek” universe, where it was reused for a skull-faced alien seen battling Worf on the holodeck in both “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”

“Masters of the Universe” also has surprising ties to the “Star Trek” franchise. Robert Duncan McNeill later became a series regular on “Star Trek: Voyager,” Frank Langella guest-starred on “Deep Space Nine,” Anthony De Longis appeared on ‘Voyager,’ Chelsea Field is married to ‘Enterprise’ star Scott Bakula, and Gwynne Gilford—the actress who played Julie's mother—is the real-life mother of Chris Pine.

The film earned three Saturn Award nominations, including Best Science Fiction Film, Best Costumes, and Best Special Effects, while director Gary Goddard received a special Silver Scroll Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Decades later, Meg Foster returned to the world of Eternia by voicing Motherboard in the 2025 animated series “Masters of the Universe: Revolution.”

A sequel, “Masters of the Universe 2,” was officially announced at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. The project ultimately fell apart after Cannon's financial troubles worsened, Dolph Lundgren declined to return, and Mattel rejected the screenplay.

Nearly forty years later, He-Man returned to theaters in the 2026 reboot from Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films. Directed by Travis Knight, the new film stars Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, Jared Leto as Skeletor, and even features Dolph Lundgren in a special cameo—bringing the legendary hero full circle for a new generation of fans.

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Some facts featured in this article were sourced from IMDb and Wikipedia.

If these fun facts have you feeling nostalgic for the 1987 cult classic, be sure to check out my fascinating two-part conversation with actor, director, and producer Robert Duncan McNeill on Hollywood Obsessed Podcast (Episodes 181 and 182). Robert shares even more behind-the-scenes stories from the making of “Masters of the Universe” while reflecting on his remarkable four-decade career—from growing up in Atlanta and studying at Juilliard to Broadway, “All My Children,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” and his iconic role as Tom Paris on “Star Trek: Voyager.”

We also discuss the pressure of launching ‘Voyager’ and the UPN network, revisit some of the series' most beloved episodes, and talk about Robert's return to the franchise in “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” Plus, he shares stories from his successful directing and producing career on hit shows including “Chuck“ and “Resident Alien,” as well as the creation of “The Delta Flyers” podcast. Whether you're a He-Man fan, a Trekkie, or simply love great Hollywood stories, these are two episodes you won't want to miss!

Listen Here:

Episode 181: HERE

Episode 182: HERE