Guy Ritchie to Direct Disney’s New Live-Action Hit Hercules
Guy Ritchie will return to Walt Disney Pictures to direct the live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1997 Hercules.
Many fans remember the 1997 Disney classic, Hercules. With upbeat, jazzy songs written by Alan Menken and a memorable animation style, Hercules is a nostalgic film about growing up and being a hero. Today, fans can look forward to a new live-action reboot.
According to Deadline, director Guy Ritchie will head the project. Richie isn’t new to Disney nor remakes. Previously, he directed Aladdin, the 2019 live-action adaptation of the 1992 Disney classic. Although he worked on countless films before, including multiple Sherlock Holmes adaptations, Aladdin was the first to receive over one billion dollars in revenue.
Additionally, Anthony and Joe Russo will produce the live-action version. As many Marvel fans know, the brothers directed Marvel classics such as Avengers: Endgame and Captain America: Civil War. Now set to produce the Hercules adaptation, the Russo’s production company—AGBO—is looking for additional writers for this project.
Hercules was due for an adaptation. Although the film made about 250 million at the box office, the 1992 Aladdin made twice the revenue. However, Disney started to gradually revamp their classics from the Disney Renaissance: a ten-year period between 1989 and 1999 that produced Disney classics. With Guy Ritchie directing, Hercules will join the line of live-action Disney classics, including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and others. With his previous success with Aladdin, Disney rightfully trusts Ritchie to give Hercules a proper live-action adaptation.
Disney released its original adaptation in 1997. The original movie follows Hercules attempting to become a hero to reunite with his godly parents, Zeus and Hera. Along the way, he convinces a legendary satyr, Phil (Danny DeVito), to train him and falls head-over-heels for Megara (Susan Egan). When Hades—played by the remarkable James Woods—creates a plan to overthrow Mount Olympus, Hercules must go against him to prove himself a hero once and for all. With a beloved cast and an iconic art style, Ritchie’s adaptation has a lot of expectations to meet.
Still, fans couldn’t be more thrilled for an updated Hercules. Already, tweets are going viral about casting options—especially for the Muses. This quintuple sings the majority of the jazz-infused songs in the original Hercules. Although it’s unclear whether this version will be a musical, some Twitter users have already cast which singers should take the mantle.
The ONLY choice for the Muses in the live action Hercules pic.twitter.com/6FZOob2gM2
— Rhianna ☽ (@rhi_diamond) June 18, 2022
These should be the muses for the Hercules Live Action. @lizzo @4everBrandy @IAMJHUD @Disney @DEADLINE pic.twitter.com/XPedwQk6OT
— Brandy_Fanpage 🌕 (@Noel30580245) June 18, 2022
Although casting and filming are yet to happen, there’s a lot to look forward to after this news. You can check out the original Disney Hercules and Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin on Disney+.
