Masters of the Universe 2026 Filming Locations Revealed: The Real Places Behind Eternia

Power up: From backlot to on-location, we’ve mapped every major 2026 filming site for Masters of the Universe, the live-action He-Man movie—see where Eternia came to life.

If you miss the days when fantasy movies actually built stuff instead of painting it in later, you might want to keep an eye on Travis Knight 's Masters of the Universe. The new He-Man movie is leaning hard on real locations, big practical sets, and tangible creature work. It looks like they really tried to make Eternia feel like a place you could stub your toe in.

So where did they actually shoot?

Production reportedly kicked off across England in early 2025, then spread out to London, Iceland, and Italy as the world of Eternia got bigger (and weirder). The team mixed modern architecture, ancient stone, frozen mountains, and volcanic sand to sell a planet that is part myth, part metal.

• London, UK: Canary Wharf stands in for Eternia's slick, metallic cityscapes — all that steel-and-glass futurism does a lot of heavy lifting on its own.
• Wells Cathedral, England: Those towering Gothic halls bring the ancient-royal vibe. Think solemn corridors, not green boxes.
• Beer Quarry Caves, England: Eerie underground tunnels reworked into fantasy caverns. If you wanted He-Man-sized cave systems, this is how you get them.
• Wookey Hole, England: Another real cave complex pressed into service for massive subterranean sets. Deep-cut production detail, but a very smart one.
• Borehamwood, England: Studio work here filled in the gaps — the area has hosted giants like Star Wars and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, so it is built for this scale.
• Iceland: Volcanic black-sand beaches and other stark landscapes to make Eternia feel alien without overcooking it in VFX.
• The Dolomites, Italy: Snow-capped peaks and severe rock faces that instantly read as epic. If Eternia needed grandeur, the Dolomites have it on tap.

The throughline: Knight has been adamant about using real-world backdrops and practical design so the place feels alive, not weightless. Also worth noting for the craft nerds: they reportedly manufactured more than 20 swords for the shoot. That is commitment — and probably a lot of foam offcuts.

What the movie is actually about

Plot-wise, we are back on Eternia, where Prince Adam steps up as He-Man to defend Castle Grayskull from Skeletor. This version finds Adam returning home after 15 years away and discovering that Skeletor has already wrecked the kingdom. So, not a light homecoming.

Release plan, trailer drop, and who is swinging the Power Sword

Masters of the Universe opens in the United States and India on June 5, 2026, with select international markets starting as early as June 3. The final trailer landed May 20, 2026, and a new behind-the-scenes peek on May 26 showed off those many, many swords.

Cast-wise, Nicholas Galitzine is your He-Man, with Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Camila Mendes, and Alison Brie along for the ride. Travis Knight is directing.

Why this matters for He-Man (again)

This is the character's biggest live-action swing in decades. The franchise has done laps since the '80s, starting with the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon, then branching to She-Ra: Princess of Power, a culty 1987 live-action go with Dolph Lundgren, a pile of animated reboots, and Netflix follow-ups like Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Masters of the Universe: Revolution. Now, nearly forty years on, the 2026 film is clearly aiming to plant He-Man back in blockbuster territory — and doing it with old-school craft instead of drowning everything in CG haze. Honestly, refreshing.

Your turn

Which of these locations are you most curious to see on the big screen? Drop your pick in the comments.