With the middling reviews that Aladdin got, a lot of Guy Ritchie fans thought that the director was done with Disney, but as it turns out, he’s signing on for one more live-action remake.
IndieWire reports that Ritchie has signed on to helm the live-action remake of the animated Hercules movie from 1997. No reports yet on who they’ve cast in the film, but rumors were going around last year that they were eyeing stars like Michael B. Jordan and Taron Eggerton to play Herc. Chris Pratt was also fancast at one point, but I think he’s gotten too old to play the Greek hero.
While not everyone’s favorite, Hercules was considered to be one of the entries in the Disney “renaissance period” of the 90s—which the studio is currently running through with remakes of Mulan and Beauty and the Beast. If we wait long enough, I think we could be getting a live-action version of Tarzan complete with ‘tree surfing’ and a Phil Collins soundtrack.
Going back to Hercules though, the film had a very unique take on the music, taking inspiration from Gospel songs and soul music. While I’m sure audiences will love new renditions of Zero to Hero and I Won’t Say I’m in Love, the real ‘power ballad’ from Hercules has always been Go the Distance:
As for Ritchie taking the helm, I didn’t think his heart was in it with Aladdin, so I was surprised that he would jump in with Hercules. Maybe he has something in mind, but I’m hoping more of his signature style shows up in the film.
No release date has been set for the live-action Hercules.
