Mattel sells rights to Barbie and He-Man movies

It comes as no surprise that Hollywood is turning to an iconic fashion doll and one of the original Masters of the Universe for new movies. Guy Adams at The Independent reports that Mattel has signed Barbie to Universal Pictures in a multimillion-dollar deal that will produce a series of “family-friendly” live-action movies based on “the world’s most famous plastic doll.” It will likely though take several years to develop the first film. Producer Laurence Mark of Jerry Maguire and Julie & Julia fame will oversee the project. Truthfully I think they have they’re work cut out for them given how the recent G.I. Joe movie turned out and Barbie has already been “brought to life in tons of terrible straight-to-DVD releases.

On the same day as Mattel announced their partnership with Universal Pictures for a Barbie movie, the toy company has news on the delayed He-Man feature film. Sony is finalizing a deal that will acquire Masters of the Universe for a live-action adaptation, according to Variety.  The story of He-Man revolves around a  prince who becomes a warrior who battles the evil forces of Skeletor for control of his magical homeland, Eternia.  Warner Bros. orginally owned the rights to He-Man, but the studio passed on it after working with producer Joel Silver since 2007.