'G.I. Joe 2' Director in Talks to Helm 'Masters of the Universe'

Director Jon M. Chu is in talks to take the helm of Sony's Masters of the Universe, an adaptation of the 1980s Mattel toy line, his reps confirmed to THR. The filmmaker, whose credits include Step Up 2 and Step Up 3D as well as the documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, would take the project on as the follow-up to another adaptation of a toy line, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

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The film would be the second adaptation of the material, after Gary Goddard’s 1987 film starring Dolph Lundgren, which notably flopped at the box office. Sony Pictures and Escape Artists have attempted to launch the project several times based on a script by Alex Litvak and Mike Finch, entitled Grayskull. Escape Artists partners Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are producing.

Although the 1987 film brought the franchise's heroes to Earth, Masters of the Universe takes place on an alternate world called Eternia, where a prince named Adam has a sword that transforms him into the musclebound hero He-Man. The franchise premiered in 1983 with a cartoon series and an action figure line and remains a beloved property for generations of genre fans.

Chu is currently working on Justin Bieber’s concert tour and overseeing the conversion of G.I. Joe: Retaliation into 3D for its release on March 29, 2013. The film was originally scheduled for release in July, but Paramount Pictures pushed back its date.

Chu is repped by WME and Principato-Young.