Devon Delivers!
As Masters of the Universe is released in cinemas this month , we’re celebrating the film’s strong southwest connections and shining a spotlight on the East Devon location that played a starring role.
If you’re a longtime He-Man fan and you’re heading to the cinema for the release of Masters of the Universe, you may spot that the historic Beer Quarry Caves served as an official location for the film. It turns out that these mysterious 2000 year-old man-made limestone chambers masquerade as the ultimate other-worldly lair…
Indeed, the “Hollywood” masses landed in Devon in June 2025 and, before long, the locals* were wielding imaginary swords in the air, chanting: “by the power of Grayskull”! (*unverified but highly likely, if you are of a certain age).
At the time, the team at the caves, along with the villagers of Beer welcomed the crew with some traditional Devon hospitality. As they meticulously transformed the distinctive spaces and surrounding land into a major film-set, rumour has it that the locals kept everyone well hydrated, eventually running the entire village’s gin supply dry. Devon Film Office had the pleasure of collaborating with Beer Quarry Caves at an event last year, who regaled us and the guests with many more fun tales!
But fast forward a year and now the epic live-action feature film adaptation of the classic animated series is having its worldwide cinematic release.
So, what can we expect as the legendary franchise returns to the big screen?
For those who remember the 1980s original, the film is likely to offer a welcome hit of nostalgia. There are few children of the ‘80s who can’t fondly recall slurping a bowl of sugary breakfast cereal in front of the TV shrieking, ‘I have the powerrrr!’ For the benefit of everyone else, Mattel’s Masters of the Universe was first introduced to the world through a line of popular action figures, quickly followed by the treasured animated series.
The Masters of the Universe of 2026, directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee), follows Prince Adam (He-Man) as he returns to his home planet Eternia to defend it from Skeletor. Having crashed to Earth in a spaceship almost two decades before, he became separated from his magical Power Sword – the only link to his home. After tracking it down, Adam is whisked back across space to defend Eternia, which has been shattered under Skeletor’s fiendish rule. But to defeat such a powerful villain and save his family and his world, he’ll first need to join forces with his closest allies Teela and Duncan, uncover the mysteries of his past, and embrace his true destiny as He-Man: the most powerful man in the universe.
The film features an impressive cast: Nicholas Galitzine becomes He-Man, alongside Camila Mendes (Teela) and Idris Elba (Man-at-Arms). Meanwhile Alison Brie embraces the dark side as Evil-Lyn and Jared Leto as Skeletor.
In the words of our neighbour Mark Ford, Manager of Screen Somerset, who supported filming at Wells Cathedral and Wookey Hole Caves and attended the UK premiere [above], the film “seems to have succeeded in the tricky art of ‘newstalgia’”. He said, “What I saw was mad, fluorescent fun, bouncing between the eye-popping sci-fi/swords and sorcery world of Eternia and contemporary America”. So we’re in for a treat.
At Devon Film Office, we’re excited for this one, not only for the fun throwback, but also for the recognition of the county’s world-class locations and film-friendly approach. Filming in Devon last year alone brought in an estimated £9m, and high budget feature films like Masters of the Universe make a huge impact to the local economy. By all accounts, this was an overwhelmingly positive experience for all involved and, with the growing trend in screen tourism, the hope is that the ripple effects will continue in East Devon for a long time to come.
As Cllr Nick Hookway, East Devon District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Tourism and Culture said, “Hosting a major international production like this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our area to a global audience and highlight the unique landscapes and heritage that make East Devon such a special place. We are proud to welcome the screen industry to our district and recognise the positive contribution that productions can make to local communities, from supporting local businesses to raising the profile of the area as a visitor destination”.
Charlotte Wood, Production Liaison Manager for the South West region at Creative England’s Filming in England also shared: “The South West has always provided an incredible array of unique locations for productions and the decision for Amazon MGM Studios’, ‘Masters of the Universe’ to film in Beer Quarry Caves in Devon further adds to the roster of high-profile productions choosing to shoot on location in the region. Creative England’s Filming in England team are the dedicated National Screen Agency working closely with a vast network of National and Regional partners to drive inward investment from production activity into the English regions. The establishment of Devon Film Office, the dedicated film-facilitation service for the county, has further bolstered a collaborative effort in accommodating filming in the area and driving the positive economic impact on local crew, suppliers and communities. ‘Masters of the Universe’ is another fantastic success story for Devon and we look forward to continuing to work with Devon Film Office on encouraging productions to the county!
Masters of the Universe will be showing at cinemas across Devon from Friday 5th June 2026. If you fancy dabbling in a spot of screen tourism and tying in a viewing with a visit to the caves, then you can head to nearby Scott Cinemas in Exmouth.
Just don’t forget the giant tub of popcorn.
#starringdevon #mastersoftheuniverse
Masters of the Universe is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films, Directed by Travis Knight. Distributed in the UK by Sony Pictures Entertainment.
All official images © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC
Photographer Credits: Giles Keyte & Amazon MGM Studios
