'He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe' Animated Series Heading To Netflix To Accompany The Kevin Smith Anime Version

A new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe CG animated series is coming to Netflix, adding to the streaming service's seeming obsession with all things He-Man these days. This iteration will join She-Ra and the Princesses of Power as well as the upcoming Masters of the Universe: Revelation, the 2D anime series being overseen by director Kevin Smith. And last we heard, the long-gestating He-Man feature film might end up at Netflix, too.

Deadline reports that Netflix and Mattel Television are producing He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which will "reimagine" the franchise "with a fresh take on its fantasy heroes." Here's the official logline:

"On the planet of Eternia, a young lost prince discovers the powers of Grayskull and transforms into He-Man, Master of the Universe! The classic battle between He-Man and evil Skeletor rages to new heights as both hero and villain forge new and mighty teams. A new generation of heroes fighting for the fate of us all. In the end, who will become Master of the Universe?"

Perhaps the "fresh take" is limited to the aesthetics of the show, because that synopsis sounds exactly like what you'd expect from a Masters of the Universe story. But will these characters and this concept resonate with a younger generation the same way they did in the 1980s? Are the ideas in He-Man solid enough to justify multiple shows and a movie?

Rob David, who's also working on Kevin Smith's anime version, created this show and will serve as an executive producer alongside Adam Bonnett (Descendants) and Christopher Keenan (Justice League, Batman Beyond). Jeff Matsuda (The Batman) and Susan Corbin (Voltron) are producing, Bryan Q. Miller (Arrow, Smallville) will be the story editor, and House of Cool and CGCG, the teams behind Trollhunters, are heading up the animation for the show.

Here's what Fred Soulie, the Senior Vice President of Content Distribution and Business Development at Mattel, had to say about the new series:

"Masters of the Universe is one of the most iconic global franchises of all time, with a 30-year history and a passionate fan base. The entire team at Mattel is excited to introduce the world of He-Man to a new generation and, together with the talented team at Netflix, to reimagine the classic characters in a way that appeals to kids and families today, while also resonating with the fans who grew up with them."

Mattel is going all-out to bring He-Man back into the public eye with these shows, the live-action film, a DC Comics series, and a new toy line that's coming to stores in the fall of 2020.