Ever since Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” became a billion-dollar box office hit, one of Walt Disney Pictures’ main goals has been to make live-action adaptations of all their animated classics for a new generation of kids and families. And so far, it’s been mostly working. One of their next big ambitions is remaking their “Hercules” musical and giving it a live-action update, courtesy of “Shang-Chi & Legend of The Ten Rings” screenwriter Dave Callaham. The project also recently landed “Aladdin” director Guy Ritchie with The Russo Brothers, also involved as producers.
While we’re still waiting to see who Ritchie casts in the key roles, producer Joe Russo spoke to Variety and dished some ideas they’re considering for this new “Hercules” incarnation and how they’ll attempt to differentiate themselves from the original animated film that was released back in 1997. Russo also added that Ritchie is also taking a pass on the script previously penned by Callaham, suggesting they’re not fully ready to begin filming just yet.
“I think they’re excited to see what we can all bring to it in a way that isn’t just a reinterpretation of the animated film. Guy is perfect for it because he has a penchant for experimentation,” Russo told Variety.
Russo also mentions they’ll consider taking inspiration from TikTok for their musical numbers, clearly trying to speak to a young and saavy audience. Hopefully, it’s simply more than them copying existing TikTok dances for the new film, but who knows?
“There are questions about how you translate it as a musical,” Russo said of attempting to modernize the remake’s musical side. “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.”
If you’re unfamiliar with the original animated film, here is the logline for the 1997 release:
Hercules, a son of gods, was snatched as a baby by Hades and forced to live among mortals as a half-man, half-god. Now a teenager, Hercules needs to perform a rite of passage on Earth to prove himself worthy of living with the gods on Mount Olympus. With his plucky satyr sidekick, Philoctetes, along for the ride, Hercules must learn how to use his strength to defeat a series of evil creatures.
“Hercules” will have to wait for a little before the cameras roll. Ritchie is set to direct his WWII action film “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” early next year in Turkey with Henry Cavill, and Eiza Gonzales attached for lead roles.
The next highly-anticupated live-action update of Disney’s animation lineup is “The Little Mermaid” by director Rob Marshall and starring Halle Bailey as Princess Ariel. That film will hit theaters on May 26, 2023.