Disney’s animated Hercules is getting a live-action reboot produced by the Russo brothers
Disney’s live-action remakes are on a roll, and news of yet another project broke today: a version of the 1997 Hercules movie, produced (but not directed) by Joe and Anthony Russo of Marvel’s Avengers fame, via The Hollywood Reporter.
Also attached to the project is Dave Callaham, who worked on The Expendables films, wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and worked as a co-writer on Wonder Woman 1984.
The original 1997 movie is extremely loosely based on the Greek myth of Heracles, and sees the young Hercules — the son of Zeus — exiled from Mount Olympus due to the nefarious machinations of the god of the underworld, Hades. While stuck on Earth as a mortal, the demigod Hercules still retains his superhuman strength and, with the help of a Danny Devito-voiced satyr, must learn what really makes a hero. Also, there’s a bunch of really good Alan Menken songs.
The project is in the early stages at this point, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and things like a cast, a director, or even whether the remake will be a musical like the animated original have yet to be decided. It’s also not clear whether Disney plans to release Hercules theatrically or if it’ll be a Disney Plus film — rumors from Disney blog TheDisInsider, which originally reported the news of the live-action remake, claim it’ll be bound for theaters.
Disney has seen considerable commercial success at the box office with its live-action remakes over the past several years. Films like Maleficent, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book brought in hundreds of millions of dollars, while Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King have all cracked the $1 billion mark worldwide.
The company has also started releasing some of its live-action projects on Disney Plus, like The Lady and the Tramp remake, which was a major launch title for the service. The upcoming Robin Hood remake, Lilo & Stitch remake, a Gaston prequel TV series based on the live-action Beauty and the Beast film, and a spinoff of the live-action Aladdin are reportedly planned for the streaming service, too.
Hercules is just one of a seemingly endless list of live-action remakes that the studio has in production, joining a list that includes the delayed Mulan, a 101 Dalmatians prequel called Cruella, Peter Pan & Wendy, The Little Mermaid, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Other projects, like Pinocchio, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Bambi are in earlier stages of development, too.
Disney’s live-action remakes are on a roll, and news of yet another project broke today: a version of the 1997 Hercules movie, produced (but not directed) by Joe and Anthony Russo of Marvel’s Avengers fame, via The Hollywood Reporter. Also attached to the project is Dave Callaham, who worked on…
