It was inevitable that Disney would get around to remaking Hercules, their 1997 animated adventure which they transformed into grand mythological musical. Disney remakes? Eh, there’s reports of a new one seemingly every month. But what makes this one interesting is that it’s being produced by Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of Avengers: Endgame.
Also on board Disney’s live-action Hercules will be writer Dave Callaham, who also has Marvel roots for scripting Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He also wrote The Expendables flicks and co-wrote another myth-based hero, Wonder Woman, in the upcoming sequel.
Hercules is loosely-based on the Roman myth of Heracles, the son of Zeus and a super-powered champion for the weak. In Disney’s animated film, he’s the son of Zeus and loving mother Hera (the myth is quite different), but is thrown out of Mount Olympus due to the machinations of his evil uncle, Hades (voiced by James Woods). Sent to Earth, Hercules must use his godly strength to learn what it takes to truly be considered a hero. He’s joined in this hero journey by the satyr Phil (Danny DeVito) and love interest Meg, who is in servitude to Hades.
It’s too early in the process to know what kind of movie Disney plans to make here. The animated movie was part of the Disney renaissance, albeit a very late entry, and really leaned into the Broadway musical aspects that had served them well. So far, it’s unclear if this version of Hercules will be a musical at all, or forego it the way Mulan has done. We also don’t know if it’s planned for theatrical or Disney+.
The real question is: Who is Disney going to get to play Hercules??? Don’t be surprised to see some out-of-the-box thinking on this one, for all of the characters. Just don’t expect to see them casting Dwayne Johnson, Kellan Lutz, or Kevin Sorbo. Been there, done that, and mostly pretty badly. [THR]
