Brian May Creating Music for the New He-Man Film
Queen guitarist Brian May has revealed that he is contributing music to the upcoming Masters of the Universe film, adding another project to his long list of creative ventures.
May shared the news through Instagram, enthusiastically referencing the famous catchphrase from the original He-Man animated series.
“I have the POWER!!!!,” he wrote. “Great joy to work tonight on scrumptious brand new HE-MAN movie with (L-R) Director Travis Knight, Composer Daniel Pemberton, and chief sound man Sam Okell — pictured here with our family’s (actually Jimmy’s) vintage He-Man action figure collection from… oooh, about 1986, I guess. What fun! And this movie will make a lot of people smile a lot!!! And — yes — my ol’ Red Special is all over it!!! Watch out!!!”
The post confirms that May’s distinctive guitar tone will be featured in the soundtrack, marking another cinematic collaboration for the legendary musician.
A Long Road to the Big Screen
The new Masters of the Universe film has endured a lengthy and complicated journey to production. The project was originally announced in 2009 by Sony Pictures International, but over the years it went through multiple script rewrites, director changes, and shifting casting rumors surrounding the role of He-Man.
Netflix later acquired the rights in early 2022, but the streaming service reportedly abandoned the film about 18 months later after spending roughly $30 million on development. In the summer of 2023, Amazon MGM stepped in to revive the project.
The film now features English actor Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man, Jared Leto as the villainous Skeletor, and Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms.
According to the official synopsis, the story follows Prince Adam after a 15-year separation from his home world:
“After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.”
Early reports from fans attending test screenings have suggested that music from Queen may appear in the film, including the band’s Highlander anthem “Princes of the Universe,” though this has not been officially confirmed.
The film is currently scheduled to arrive in U.S. theaters on June 5.
Queen Revisit Queen II With Expansive Collector’s Edition
Away from the film world, Queen are also preparing a major archival release. The band will issue a newly remixed, remastered, and expanded collector’s edition of their second album, Queen II, on March 27.
Often considered the group’s heaviest and most ambitious early record, Queen II was recorded at London’s Trident Studios with producer Roy Thomas Baker and originally released on March 8, 1974. The album reached No. 5 on the UK charts and peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.
Reflecting on the album’s significance, May described it as a defining turning point for the band.
“Queen II was the single biggest leap we ever made,” he said. “That’s when we really started making music the way we wanted to, rather than the way we were being pushed into recording it.”
The 2026 edition will arrive as a deluxe five-CD and two-LP box set, packed with rare material including studio outtakes, demos, BBC radio sessions, live recordings, and previously unheard “fly-on-the-wall” audio capturing Queen in the studio during the album’s creation.
For longtime fans, the release promises a deeper look into the band’s early creative process, while May’s latest film project shows that the guitarist is still finding new arenas for his signature sound more than five decades into Queen’s storied career.
