With Disney churning out live-action remakes of their classic animated movies at a pretty fast pace, everyone is waiting to see which nostalgia-infused story will be chosen for the treatment next. So far, the remakes have included the likes of theThe Jungle Book,Beauty and the Beast, andThe Lion King, and withMulandue for imminent release, it looks like one of the next adaptations to follow will be the Greek superheroHercules.
It is now being reported thatDisneyis in the early stages of developing a live-action remake ofHerculeswhich will then receive a theatrical release, rather than a Disney+ one like the recentLady and the Trampremake. The report also indicates that songs from the animated version are expected to be included in the upcoming remake, likely alongside new ones, much like what was done with Guy Ritchie’sAladdinlast year.
The studio has allegedly tapped Jeffery Silver ofThe Lion KingandTron: Legacyfame alongsideThe Mandalorian’sKaren Gilchrist to produce. With regards as to who will be behind the camera forHercules, a few names are being touted. The first name is a familiar one, and the man behindseveral of the Disney live-action remakesthat have been made so far, Jon Favreau. Favreau has directed two of Disney’s most successful remakes in 2016’sThe Jungle Bookand 2019’sThe Lion King, both of which performed superbly well at the box office. The project would also re-team Favreau with both Silver and Gilchrist, making this choice very plausible.
The second name, or names, that have been mentioned areAvengers: Endgame’sJoe and Anthony Russo, also known as The Russo Brothers. The directing duo has again helmed several very successful movies in 2014’sCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, 2016’sCaptain America: Civil War,Avengers: Infinity Warin 2018, and, of course, thehighest-grossing movie of all-time, last year’s comic book epicAvengers: Endgame. Again, a very solid choice to bringHerculesto the live-action stage.
The final name that has been reported is Gore Verbinski, who directed, and is largely responsible for, one of Disney’s most successful franchises of all time with the first threePirates of the Caribbeanmovies. Verbinski did attempt to catch lightning in a bottle a second time at Disneywhen he directed 2013’s The Lone Ranger, which sadly flopped and quickly ended his plans for a western franchise. Still, the astronomical success ofPirates of the Caribbeanis nothing to be sneezed at, and perhaps Disney are looking to give him another go.
It should be noted that this report is largely rumor at this stage, and there has been no confirmation that any formal discussions have taken place, but with a live-actionHerculeshaving been in circling the rumor mill for some time, this all makes too much sense to be entirely false.
The animatedHerculesfrom 1997 follows the Greek myth of a boy taken from the gods as a newborn and adopted on earth. Beginning as just an awkward pillar of strength trying to fit in, what Hercules wants most is to impress his father Zeus. When Hercules discovers Hades' sinister plot to take over Mount Olympus, he goes from zero to hero and, with the help of his pals Pegasus and Phil, discovers that real strength comes from the heart. This comes to us fromThe Disinsider.
