He-Man may have found a new home.

Just weeks after Masters of the Universe parted ways with Warner Bros., the Mattel toy property is in negotiations to be preemptively picked up by Columbia Pictures, with Escape Artists attached to produce.

After months of deal-wrangling, Warners picked up Universe in 2007, hiring several writers, and earlier this year set John Stevenson to direct. Eventually the two companies had opposing visions for the movie, and when the option came up, both sides decided to let it lapse.

Stevenson is no longer attached to the project, and it would be built from the ground up.

The 1980s show, named He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, followed a blond warrior named Prince Adam who, when uttering the magic words By the power of Grayskull -- I have the power, turned into the heroic He-Man. He and his allies -- Battle Cat, Man-at-Arms and Orko -- defended their planet Eternia from the evil forces of Skeletor, who tried week after week to conquer the fortress Castle Grayskull, which imbued He-Man with his powers.

Escape Artists' credits include The Taking of Pelham 123, Knowing and The Pursuit of Happyness.

On Wednesday, Universal picked up another Mattel property, Barbie, for a big-screen project.