Written by Back in September 2021, Variety first broke the news that made many Masters of the Universe fans very excited: A She-Ra Live-Action Series was in the works at Amazon Studios.
First offered to Netflix (but the studio ultimately passed), this live-action production was revealed to be in early development at Amazon Studios and produced by DreamWorks Animation (who was also behind the Netflix 2018 animated series “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power”.)
While there was no writer officially attached to the project, the indication was made that this She-Ra live-action series would be an entirely new story… and not connected to the previous animated series streamed on Netflix.
Then in May 2022 it felt like the project was definitely moving along, when it was reported that Nicole Kassell (an established director from shows like “The Watchmen” and “Westworld”) was tapped to executive produce and direct a pilot episode for the She-Ra live-action series.
Hearing Amazon Studios was planning a pilot episode for the She-Ra live-action series was a good sign. Often a pilot episode is a test episode, a standalone production that is used as guage if a show will work. If successful, it sells the entire series and the pilot episode is often aired as the series premiere (but not always, depending on alterations and sometimes recasting of roles that executives deem necessary.)
However, sometimes a pilot episode demonstrates to the studio that a series will not work and the project is cancelled soon afterwards. A prime example of this is when Amazon Studios passed on their 2019 “The Dark Tower” show (adapted from the Stephen King series of novels) leaving a full 60 minute finished pilot episode, directed by Stephen Hopkins, in limbo.
This also famously occurred with the unaired “Wonder Woman” pilot for NBC back in 2011 staring Adrianne Palicki, for a show that was ultimately never greenlit.
Now since May 2022, news on a potential She-Ra live-action series at Amazon Studios had gone full stop. The only update (if you can call it that) came in March 2023 when She-Ra’s pilot episode director Nicole Kassell was announced to executive produce & direct a different “fantasy” project over at Amazon Studios titled “Medusa” (based on the Greek mythological character.)
This “Medusa” news begged the question: Was Nicole Kassell still working on the She-Ra live-action series?
So what has become of the She-Ra live action series? Was a pilot episode ever filmed and directed by Kassell? Was it canceled like Netflix’s “Masters of the Universe” live-action film? Or is the She-Ra live-action series still in a slow development over at Amazon Studios, now even further lagged by the recent writer and current actor strike?
We know lot of things can go wrong in developing a genre television series, and subsequently a lot of things have to go right. Hopefully fans will learn some positive news about She-Ra’s Live Action series status soon.
We’ll see you next time!
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As with anything Masters of the Universe live action related I will believe it when I see it.
PLEASE make this show! 💗
Maybe if a pilot was made it will leak one day.
Well it was not even begun, does that count as a She-Ra show getting cancelled or?
Yah good question cat. Maybe you can’t cancel something you never fully committed to in the first place. Like you can’t break up from a hookup.
Amazon likely passed for the same reason Netflix passed: the pitch is terrible. Amazon simply optioned it, because they were desperate for an established fantasy intellectual property they could adapt into a series, and it was available. They assigned one of their stable of directors of fantasy properties to it, and she has since moved on to other projects, which suggests this is dead in the water. I think that is a good thing, because the premise is about seven years too late, and it is nothing Princess of Power fans asked for or wanted. I think the treatment would actually make most people very unhappy, so I consider it a bullet dodged.
@adam_prince-of-eternia I agree. This might have been for the best.
I had forgotten there was supposed to be a live action She-Ra show coming. I am sure the writers and actors strike didn’t help with this show possibly being made. Maybe it would have been good, maybe it would have not. If they ever do make one live action and are targeting us older fans I hope they listen to what we want out of this property and her brother’s property.
The financial losses of Amazon’s Rings of Power series may have also contributed to Amazon dropping the She-Ra series. Would they really want to invest in another big-budget fantasy series when the first one (based on a much better known and much more lucrative franchise) flopped?
I think Amazon dropped Conan too.
I did not know they had it. Apparently, it was dropped two years ago.
It’s difficult to make money on a thing when you spend $1B dollars on it.
And maybe don’t pit it head to head with a similar fantasy show. Many people will feel the need to compare the two and pick sides.
I was very against watching it from the moment of the announcement because Thanksgiving watches of all 3 long versions of the originals, a couple years in a row, followed by the Hobit movies had me burnt out on LOTR.
But then I watched it when it finally dropped. Never liked GoT so I was never going to watch Dragons of GoT.
I would love a POP movie! 😀
I still love The Hobbit, Lord Of The Rings and Rings Of Power. 😀