Amazon MGM Studios is actively rewriting its theater-to-streaming distribution playbook, treating home release windows as highly reactive rather than fixed calendar dates. Following a rough start at the global box office upon its June 5 debut, the live-action Masters of the Universe movie is already preparing for an early digital exit. Studio executives are reportedly planning to abandon their standard 45-to-90 day window and fast-track the fantasy feature to Premium Video on Demand by mid-July to mitigate financial losses.
Directed by Travis Knight and starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, the long-gestating project was supposed to be a cornerstone summer tentpole for the studio. The disappointing initial ticket sales mean viewers will not have to wait long to watch the film in their living rooms. This drastic schedule shift is drawing immediate comparisons to how Amazon MGM handled another recent blockbuster, bending the rules for Masters of the Universe in the exact opposite direction of Project Hail Mary.
When the Ryan Gosling sci-fi adaptation hit theaters in March, it became an overwhelming hit. Because of that momentum, the studio heavily extended its theatrical run and indefinitely delayed its Prime Video debut to maximize the $640 million global box office haul.
Both films ultimately broke the studio’s established timelines. He-Man is rushing to digital platforms to stop the bleeding, while Gosling’s space epic lingered in cinemas to capitalize on sustained ticket sales.