Movies With Butter

Greyskull still has some power left, apparently: Sony's long-gestating Masters of the Universe remake/sequel/reboot/thing is moving along with a new writer.

The studio has hired Richard Wenk, whose credits include 16 Blocks and The Mechanic, to rewrite the script, which has been kicking around in various stages of development since at least 2007, when John Woo was rumored to be in the director's chair for Warner Bros.

Masters moved from Warners to Sony in 2009, and although the studio has proceeded cautiously with the project, its ducks seem to be getting themselves in a row -- Coming Soon reports that Jon M. Chu is officially attached to direct, and although Wenk's hiring indicates at least some degree of dissatisfaction with the draft Mike Finch and Alex Litvak turned in back in 2010, it's also a sign of continued faith in the franchise.

The original Masters toys and cartoons, of course, were a cornerstone of playtime for '80s kids -- and although the property's market clout has cooled considerably since its heyday (which ended even before the first Masters of the Universe live-action film debuted in 1987), there's still plenty of residual affection for He-Man and his crew.

Whether any of that translates to blockbuster grosses for a movie featuring the characters remains to be seen -- but it looks like Sony is still willing to find out.

• Prev:  Review: 'Smashed'
• Next:  New in Theaters: 'Argo', 'Seven Psychopaths', 'Sinister', 'Here Comes the Boom'