A couple of years ago we learned the Russo Bros. were developing a live-action remake of Disney’s Hercules from a script by Shang-Chi writer Dave Callaham. A few months later, Guy Ritchie was hired to direct it, having proven himself to Disney with Aladdin. But if a new rumor from scooper Daniel Richtman is to be believed, there has been a significant change to the project, but not a totally unexpected one.
According to the new rumor (via Toonado), Hercules has undergone a major overhaul and the focus will no longer be on the heroic demigod. Instead, the film will be told from the perspective of the villain, Hades, and might even be titled after him.
Disney has done this sort of thing before, so this wouldn’t be a shock. Maleficent was the story of Sleeping Beauty told from the villain’s perspective, and Disney did the same thing with Cruella, the 101 Dalmatians baddie. They like humanizing the heels.
The Russos have talked about doing something different from the beloved 1997 Hercules animated musical, and will draw from some interesting places for inspiration…
“There are questions about how you translate it as a musical,” Russo continued. “Audiences today have been trained by TikTok, right? What is their expectation of what that musical looks like and feels like? That can be a lot of fun and help us push the boundaries a little bit on how you execute a modern musical.”
Keep in mind that Richtman reported a few months ago that Ritchie had exited Hercules. Disney hasn’t confirmed that, however, so as far as we know he’s still aboard.
