NEED TO KNOW
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Camila Mendes plays Teela, a warrior who reunites with Prince Adam/He-Man, in her first blockbuster role.
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Mendes says the audition process was intense, but her rapport with co-star Nicholas Galitzine helped her land the role.
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The Travis Knight-directed film brings back the iconic franchise. «Masters of the Universe» into feature films decades later.
Camila Mendes has fulfilled her long-time dream by starring in in the film "Masters of the Universe".
The 31-year-old star of the series «Riverdale» will star for the first time in a live-action adaptation of Mattel's beloved franchise, playing Teela, a warrior who reunites with her childhood friend, Prince Adam/He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine), when their homeworld of Eternia is threatened by Skeletor (Jared Leto).
«I’ve always dreamed more than anything of being in a superhero movie, and I never imagined I’d get this opportunity,» Mendes tells PEOPLE about landing the role in «Masters of the Universe» . "There's Marvel and DC, and I feel like these characters have been played by a lot of different people before, and that creates a certain pressure.".
«"But it was really cool to dive into this world that had been largely untapped for a long time, especially in the live-action realm," she adds. "And it was really cool to bring these forgotten characters back to life.".
Camila Mendes at the "Masters of the Universe" screening in New York. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty
The film "Masters of the Universe"« , directed by Travis Knight ( «Bumblebee» ), based on the Mattel toy line that inspired the beloved animated series «He-Man and the Masters of the Universe» and a feature film starring Dolph Lundgren.
Mendes says the audition process is Master's degree was "exhausting" but at the same time "very exciting.".
«I haven’t wanted anything so much since I got the role in «Riverdale» , and it was a role that I really, really saw myself in, and I just wanted to make sure that they saw that in me too,» she shares.
Masters of the Universe. Source: Amazon.
She says she got the role thanks to a final test for compatibility with Galitsin, which, according to her recollections, went «excellently.».
«"I left there feeling great because Nick and I had an immediate rapport," she says. "We had a lot of fun and did a lot of improv.".
Regarding filming her first big-budget Hollywood action movie, which features extensive CGI and green screen, Mendes describes the process as "a little bit of what I expected and a little bit of the opposite.".
Camila Mendes in Masters of the Universe (Photo: Amazon)
«"I think being on those sets really made me realize how brilliantly they'd created this physical world. The sets felt enormous, and I felt like I was on Eternia," she says. "So I didn't expect it to be so interactive. I thought there would be more green screen, and it was used in some moments, but I was genuinely surprised by how much I felt like I was part of this world.".
The film "Masters of the Universe"« hits theaters Friday.
Read the original article on People.