Entertainment
New He-Man Trailer Marks Triumphant Return To Eternia
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
Recently, animator Barry Caldwell died, less than a week before the newest trailer for the live-action version of one of his many well-known projects: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. It is perhaps ironic that the trailer should so closely follow his death, as it is a reminder of his impact on our culture.
And boy, does the trailer have impact. Movies based on or around toy lines or video games tend to be transparent cash grabs and thus really horrible, with a few notable exceptions. Street Fighter leaned into its camp and both Silent Hill and Resident Evil managed to capture the survival horror of their settings quite well. Even the Sonic the Hedgehog movies embrace their cartoonishness to stand out as halfway decent adaptations. Meanwhile, repeated attempts to make a good Super Mario Brothers movie haven’t always won over fans, and the Jem movie, based on another Hasbro line, failed entirely by abandoning its source material.
Masters of the Universe appears as though it may not only join the ranks of the successful adaptations but potentially surpass them. The trailer shows us not only an Adam on a dreary Earth, but the consequences of both his exile and return. Sent away by his parents as Skeletor ravages Eternia, he works in an office but is a sci-fi nerd who is always conscious of his roots.
To top it off, he is the prince of the land he was sent away from, so his return has consequence to its people. Reunited with the Sword of Power, he is picked up by canon character Teela and brought back to an Eternia that has been ravaged and razed. His parents are prisoners, and it looks like his populace is a little skeptical of him. He knows that the weight of saving his planet rests on his shoulders. Is he ready to take on the challenge of defeating Skeletor and his evil minions?
Top-Tier Worldbuilding
The trailer treats us to magical transformations and really exciting fights with Adam in full He-Man form, answering that question rather quickly and giving us what we want to see in a He-Man movie: the titular hero fighting the terrifying sorcerer and his witchy sidekick, Evilyn in the fantasy setting it was written in, not here on Earth, which we see every time we open our eyes. This is augmented by the science fiction technology that was also a huge part of the fantasy setting, including space ships, laser guns, and mechanized weapons.
Even ravaged, Eternia looks awesome, with the CGI well-rendered and not cartoony, like an Avatar movie. We see all the sites: Castle Greyskull, the home of He-Man ally Sorceress, the lair of Skeletor, the sweeping capitol, and various vistas of Eternia’s mountains, plains, and forests. While there may be scenes on Earth, it feels like this is a story of Adam’s homecoming, and therefore it embraces Eternia as surely as Adam is its prince.
The characters are also largely spot-on. Cringer, Adam’s companion and steed whose alter ego is Battle Cat when the prince is He-Man, looks a lot better than he did in the original trailer, and makes a comical appearance in lieu of the MGM Lion in the production credit (MGM and Amazon produced the movie).
Teela looks exactly right, especially once she is in full costume with her hair swept up in her crown. Even Duncan Man-at-Arms, who is played by Idris Elba in a casting move that has caused some complaints, is in perfect costume, and Elba does justice to the grizzled warrior as he gives Adam advice about being a man.
A Trailer That Will Channel Your Inner Barbarian
The only one of the heroes from the cartoon that I haven’t seen in the trailers yet is the floating tiny wizard Orko, who as the comic relief of the show. Given how much attention has been given to the rest of the production, I suspect we may yet see him. After all, there are many special effects creatures in the trailer, including an alien Adam can’t identify. Even Sorceress appears, but you’ll only spot her if you’re “eagle-eyed” (hint, hint!).
Jared Leto is buried under a lot of makeup as Skeletor, giving the monstrous dictator a menacing look that is only more enticing in this new trailer. Unlike his cartoon counterpart or his portrayal by Frank Langella in the 1987 campy live action version with Dolph Lundgren, Jared Leto’s Skeletor is a frightening presence on the screen, his glowing red eyes evidence of his evil. Speaking of evil, Alison Brie as Evilyn is dressed to kill, even if she doesn’t quite look the part as much as Meg Foster did in 1987.
I went from being a bit unsure about the direction the movie was taking to being very excited about it because of this trailer. The other trailer made some hints that it was either embracing the “modern audience” or skewering it with the masculinity inherent in a character named “He-Man” (whose mundane identity’s name also means “man”), but with shots of He-Man in his full barbarian-style garb, it is clear that the movie isn’t shying away from its hero. It is actually starting to look like a real live-action version of the cartoon we grew up with in the 80s, and it looks like it’s not just a cynical artifact cashing in on nostalgia, but a truly great tribute to a memorable character and his world.
Masters of the Universe will be released in theaters on June 5, 2026. Take The Power and mark the date!
Entertainment
T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to qualify
TL;DR: Get a free iPhone 17e when signing up for a T-Mobile plan with no trade-in required. Alternatively, get the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when signing up for an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible device.
Last month was absolutely huge for Apple. We got new iPhones, MacBooks, and iPads, but what now? Are we just expected to sit around and wait for the next batch of new products? No, we’re supposed to score the best deals on this fresh lineup.
For those interested in investing in the new iPhone 17, we recommend checking out T-Mobile. The popular carrier is offering another “free iPhone” deal this weekend.
You can switch to almost any T-Mobile plan and get a free iPhone 17e with no trade in required. Alternatively, you can score the iPhone 17 for free when signing on for 24 months of an Experience Beyond plan and trading in an eligible phone. T-Mobile will charge taxes on these free deals and a $35 device connection fee.
Boost Infinite is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — upgrade to the latest model every year
There are always some strings attached to these sort of deals, and we should note that the Experience More plan is designed for power users who want 4K streaming, massive hotspot data, and the best international roaming. It therefore comes with a higher monthly bill than more limited plans. The Experience More plan does include perks like Apple TV+ and Netflix, which helps offset some of that cost.
Mashable Deals
If you’re still rocking an iPhone 12 or 13, you’re missing out on some genuinely game-changing features. The iPhone 17 is the first base model built specifically to handle Apple’s most advanced AI features. Mashable’s Stan Schroeder said it’s an “excellent phone that matches the iPhone Pro models in many ways that matter.”
Score an iPhone 17 for free this weekend with T-Mobile.
Entertainment
Your AI stack, simplified (and way cheaper)
TL;DR: The 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan is one platform with multiple top AI models and tools for content, images, audio, video, and PDFs — all for a one-time $99.99 payment.
Managing multiple AI tools can quickly turn into a messy (and expensive) workflow. Between separate subscriptions, switching tabs, and learning different interfaces, the time spent organizing your tools can start to outweigh the time you actually spend creating.
Designed to simplify how AI fits into your day-to-day work, 1min.AI offers a different way. It brings multiple AI models into a single centralized platform, so AI can support you faster and in a more cost-effective way. Lifetime access to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan is currently on sale for a one-time $99.99 payment (reg. $540).
Mashable Deals
Instead of relying on a single model, 1min.AI gives you access to a range of leading AI systems — including GPT, Claude, Gemini, and others — so you can choose the best tool for the task without leaving the platform. That flexibility can make a noticeable difference, especially when switching between writing, brainstorming, coding, or research.
Beyond chat, the platform covers a wide range of uses. There are built-in tools for long-form content, social media posts, rewriting, and keyword research. On the creative side, you can generate and edit images, remove backgrounds, or even turn sketches into finished visuals.
It also extends into audio and video, with features like text-to-speech, transcription, and video generation—plus document tools that let you interact with PDFs, summarize files, and translate content.
For anyone juggling multiple roles or projects, having all of these capabilities in one place can help reduce wasted time and keep workflows moving.
Mashable Deals
Don’t miss lifetime access to all the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan features for a one-time $99.99 (reg. $540).
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Topics
Artificial Intelligence
Entertainment
Nicole Kidman's R-Rated Netflix Thriller Is 50 First Dates Meets Memento
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Have you ever watched Memento and thought to yourself, “I wish there was a crappier version of this film that makes no sense?” Well, your search is over, because 2014’s Before I Go to Sleep is streaming on Netflix. It’s billed as a psychological thriller, and technically it is, but it completely falls apart under scrutiny if you watch it for more than five seconds and have an IQ higher than the average goldfish.
It’s not the talent involved either. Before I Go to Sleep is adequately acted, and it looks fine. There are even some pretty neat flashback sequences. There’s nothing wrong with the cinematography, but the cast and crew alone can’t save a screenplay like this. You can’t act your way out of a premise so profoundly stupid that it requires four ibuprofen and a cool, dark room to recover from. The movie’s about amnesia, but unfortunately, I remember watching it, so I might as well talk about it.
Like Memento But Without The Drama, Mystery, Tension, Or Smart Hooks
Here’s the story that Before I Go to Sleep tries to tell. Christine Lucas (Nicole Kidman) has amnesia. Every day, her husband Ben (Colin Firth) gives her a 50 First Dates crash course on her identity, their relationship, her injury, and her memory loss. Meanwhile, another man named Mike Nasch (Mark Strong), who claims to be her psychologist, calls her daily to remind her that she’s keeping a record of her thoughts on a camera hidden in a shoebox in her closet. Every day, Christine wakes up, forgets what happened the day before, and repeats the cycle.
Christine has been living like this for 14 years. It’s only when the movie begins that all of this suddenly becomes a problem. She starts remembering her old friend Claire (Ann-Marie Duff), who gives her a crash course on what her life has been like since the accident. Through these increasingly preposterous encounters, Christine learns that she had a son with Ben. She also learns that Ben divorced her at some point, yet she’s still living with him. On top of that, Mike may not be entirely truthful, even though he’s the one who encouraged her to document everything in the first place. Smells like red herring to me.
Falls Apart During The First Act
What’s most perplexing about Before I Go to Sleep is how long Christine has been living like this without any meaningful intervention. She has no recollection of anything before her accident each time she wakes up. She should never be left alone to her own devices because she has a severe cognitive disability. The friends she reconnects with are way too casual about everything, as if hearing from someone out of the blue years after their traumatic brain injury is totally normal.
I understand that someone like Claire may have had repeated encounters with Christine and is playing along to avoid upsetting her, but that’s not what’s being implied here. Everything is far too convenient, with all signs pointing to the fact that somebody is up to something, which we learn through Christine’s flashbacks. The problem is that these flashbacks aren’t reliable, and they’re clearly being influenced by manipulative sources.
If you’re wondering who the manipulative source is, try the one living with her who has clearly been controlling the narrative from the opening scene onward. I’d say spoiler alert, but if you’ve seen even a couple psychological thrillers, you’ll know exactly how this ends before the opening credits finish rolling.
Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, and Mark Strong do about as well as they can with what they’re given. But if I’m being honest, you’re better off huffing paint, watching 50 First Dates and Memento on two separate screens, and trying to piece them together every time you regain consciousness. It’s basically the same experience.
As of this writing, Before I Go to Sleep is streaming on Netflix.
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