He-Man and the Kung Fu Panda!

He-Man and the Master of the Universe is yet another beloved cartoon that has been rumored to be recieving the live action update. Not that it hasn't before, but do true fans of the cartoon really want that 1987 film to be the only live action legacy for He-Man? I thought not. Back in November, Latino Review sourced that the 80's cartoon had found a director. Lost in all the Super Bowl Shuffle, I found over at Variety, an article that confirms Latino Review's scoop.

Joe Silver, who is no stranger to cartoon adaptation (He's producing this summer's G.I JOE) is developing the film titled, "Masters of the Universe" under his Silver Pictures banner. WB picked up the rights in 2007 and Joe Silver has reached out to Kung Fu Panda director, John Stevenson, to tackle his first live action film. The film will obviously follow He-Man, a prince who transforms into a mighty warrior and is the only hope of survival for his magical kingdom against the evil Skeletor.

Jon Stevenson, after being showed just what Mattel had in mind for the live action film, chose to accept the position. Stevenson talked a bit about the experience, "There was this locked bunker that you had to be escorted into," Stevenson said. "It was filled with art, some generated by the Mattel artists, and I looked around, and said, 'I get it.' We started formulating a specific vision for costumes, creatures, architecture, and the creation of a mythology and look for a whole world we'll create."

Sound's good, but anything is better than the 1987 movie starring Dolph Lundgren and Courtney Cox. So who should play He-Man? With Mattel involved how cool should the concepts be for the live action film?

What say you? Did you watch He-Man? Are you excited for a live action film? Is Stevenson the right guy for the job? Strikeback...