Director Travis Knight Says Amazon Undervalued Theatrical Run for Masters of the Universe

Director Travis Knight recently opened up about his frustrations regarding the release strategy for Masters of the Universe, a film that failed to make major waves in June box offices before becoming a massive streaming hit on Prime Video. Speaking with the Hollywood Reporter during press for his latest project Wildwood, Knight revealed that Amazon placed significantly more emphasis on future streaming metrics than the movie's theatrical performance. According to the director, this approach was not entirely clear to him when signing on, leaving him feeling that the creative team's efforts did not receive the theatrical backing they anticipated.

While the movie pulled in a modest $113 million globally during its theatrical run, its trajectory shifted dramatically upon landing on Prime Video in July. Within a single week, subscribers poured 1.17 billion minutes into watching the title, catapulting it to the most-watched media position for that timeframe. Studio insiders have maintained that Amazon evaluates projects through the combined lens of theatrical and streaming value, yet the corporation has previously acknowledged that major titles like Masters and Red One often find their strongest footing on home screens.

Despite ultimately coming to terms with how the rollout played out, Knight remains convinced that the feature deserved a more robust theatrical fate. The shifting paradigm of modern entertainment distribution continues to blur the lines between big-screen premieres and immediate home availability. For creators navigating these studio dynamics, the tension between traditional theatrical prestige and algorithmic streaming success remains a defining hurdle of contemporary filmmaking.