The Immense Craft Behind Every Detail in ‘Masters of the Universe’

For producer Jason Blumenthal, the making of Masters of the Universe is defined by scale, immersion, and an almost obsessive commitment to building everything from the ground up. Walking through the production’s workshop, Blumenthal frames the experience not just as filmmaking, but as full-scale world construction. Black Girl Nerds visited the London set of Masters of the Universe and had the opportunity to learn some insights from the producer about the making of the film.

At the start of the story, even the film’s hero is introduced in a stripped-down, vulnerable state. “At the beginning of the movie, he’s in a prison dungeon cell,” Blumenthal explained. “That’s his more beat-up look. But when he becomes He-Man, this is what he is. This is the costume. Those are the boots.” For Blumenthal, being able to see both versions of the character physically present in the same space underscores the tactile ambition of the production.

Unlike many large-scale fantasy films that rely on multiple variations of costumes and props, Blumenthal emphasized that this production had no such luxury. “Everything we built had to be used,” he said. “We didn’t have six or seven versions of anything.”

That constraint became a defining creative engine. Every object, from armor to weapons to set dressing, was designed, fabricated, and finished specifically for this film. Nothing was borrowed, adapted, or repurposed. Instead, the production operated like a fully contained manufacturing ecosystem, with a 40,000-square-foot workshop producing nearly everything in-house.

“We literally have a factory across the street,” Blumenthal said. “We can design something on set and have it in 3D form by the end of the day.”

That immediacy shaped how the world of Eternia was built. Art department concept stills established tone and mood, but once designs were locked, they transitioned directly into fabrication. The result is a production pipeline where creative iteration and physical construction happen almost simultaneously. Blumenthal noted that this level of detail is increasingly rare, even on major studio films. “I’ve made a lot of movies,” he said. “I’ve never been involved in a project of this size and scope, where almost everything you touch has to be built from scratch.”

That tactile philosophy extends to how actors experience the world. Props are weighted, textured, and engineered to feel real in hand, even when multiple versions exist for different types of action. Blumenthal believes this physicality directly impacts performance.

“You stick a giant gun in a movie star’s hand, they become a kid again,” he said. “When they’re holding something that feels real, it changes everything.”

That commitment to authenticity has not gone unnoticed by fans tracking the production. Blumenthal acknowledged early online reactions focused heavily on surface details like weathering, patina, and material texture. Rather than being incidental, those reactions validated the team’s approach.

“People zoomed in on the details,” he said. “They noticed the leather, the rope, the wear. That was intentional.”

Even small design elements, like wrist gear or buckles, are treated as narrative tools. The production also went as far as developing a full Eternian written language, embedded across sets and props as hidden environmental storytelling.

“If you want to nerd out, you can follow the grid,” Blumenthal said. “There are Easter eggs everywhere.”

He also highlighted a key creative tension at the heart of the project: how to make a decades-old toy property resonate with both lifelong fans and entirely new audiences. His answer is simple but ambitious.

“I care most about someone who has never seen it before,” he said. “If they love it, I know everyone else will come with them.”

That philosophy extends across departments, from costumes to creature design. Blumenthal described how characters begin as sketches, evolve into maquettes, and eventually become fully realized practical builds. Many are designed to function on camera with minimal digital enhancement.

“These aren’t just digital characters,” he said. “We build them so they can actually perform in real space.”

One example is Goat Man, developed in collaboration with acclaimed prosthetics artist Barry Gower, known for work on projects like The Last of Us and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The character alone can take up to eight hours to apply, a time investment Blumenthal calls both extreme and essential.

“It’s a crazy commitment,” he said. “But everybody has to be all in on it.”

That same dedication extends across the entire production, where collaboration between departments drives the evolution of every design. Nothing is static. Everything changes as actors interact with it, as scenes develop, and as the needs of the story evolve.

Blumenthal also pointed to the film’s CinemaCon presentation as a milestone moment. At just 21 days into filming at the time, the team assembled an early showcase for theater owners and partners, offering a glimpse into both finished material and behind-the-scenes fabrication.

“It’s all a work in progress,” he said. “But it gives you a sense of what we’re building.”

For Blumenthal, that sense of scale, combined with physical craftsmanship and shared creative belief, is what defines the project. More than a franchise revival, it is a fully engineered world being built piece by piece, designed to be felt as much as seen.

Masters of the Universe premieres in theaters June 5th.

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