Disney’s live-action Hercules in the works, Russo Brothers producing

Disney is currently working on a live-action remake of its animated Hercules adaptation.

Screen Rant has confirmed that Disney’s live-action Hercules retelling has Dave Callaham (The Expendables, Godzilla 2014) writing the screenplay. Avengers: Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo will be the producers.

The news about a Hercules live-action remake was first reported by The Disneyinsider.

Released in 1997, the Mouse House’s animated Hercules re-imagined the tale of the titular mythological hero (and son of Zeus) as a zany musical fantasy adventure. It was complete with memorable tunes like “Zero to Hero” performed by a group of wise-cracking Muses and Danny DeVito voicing Herc’s cantankerous trainer, the satyr Philoctetes (call him Phil).

While it was less successful financially than other Disney animation renaissance movies from the ’90s, it was still a box office hit and went over well with the critics. If anything, the film’s reputation has only continued to improve in the years since.

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Need for a more original Hercules remake

A still from Walt Disney’s Hercules (Image via Digital Spy)

Whether or not this remake will add something new or stick to the same mold as the original remains to be seen. With Disney making profit after profit with (almost) each new remake, it only makes sense that they would choose Hercules next.

However, this Disney remake might be harder to nail down because Hercules is not as revered as Aladdin, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast.

The only way it could conceivably stand out from those other live-action remakes is if it pays homage to the original, changes the plot’s structure, and adds something that the original didn’t have.

That doesn’t just mean adding new songs and fixing plot holes. It includes adding new consequences during the film and more character development for its key players.

For example, the remake could go in a différent direction and not just focus on Hercules as the central character. It could add a subplot that developed Zeus and Hades’ relationship as brothers while possibly even changing the film’s ending.

This is so that it would not be as predictable as the other remakes, and even if it manages to succeed in that category, it may have a hard time trying to gain the same box office treasure as its predecessors.

Usually, when most people name their favorite Disney movie, Hercules isn’t on the top of the list. So only time will tell if this Russo Brothers remake will strike gold.

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Hercules remake was a logical next step for Disney

How will Hercules compare to other Disney remakes? (Image via Next Best Picture)

Classic ’90s Disney animated movies like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King have been re-imagined as billion dollar-grossing live-action tent poles over the past few years. Mulan is also expected to follow suit when it reaches theaters, even after being delayed by the coronavirus pandemic this spring).

Hence, many fans have been waiting and hoping for Hercules to get a similar treatment. Sure enough, that’s exactly what’s happening, with some top-level talent and crew involved behind the scenes.