Disney is on the roll at the moment with the sheer number of live-action remakes that they are making. The latest announcement is of the animated classic Hercules.
Dave Callaham, the screenwriter for the Expendables franchise and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, has been hired to write the script. Along with him, Disney has also roped in Joe and Anthony Russo of the Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame fame as producers of the project.
However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the Hercules remake is still in its initial stages. Many things are yet to be decided, including the cast, director and whether it will be a musical like the original. Speculations are also rife around whether the movie will receive a theatrical release or if it will be a Disney+ original.
Disney has previously enjoyed great success when it comes to live-action remakes. These include Maleficent, Cinderella, The Jungle Book which were all huge commercial successes. Other than these, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King all crossed the $1 billion mark.
Hercules isn’t the only movie which is being made for a live-action alternative. Other than Mulan which will see a July 24 release, Disney has several other movies in the pipeline. This list includes The Little Mermaid, Lilo and Stitch, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Bambi. Moreover, there is also a 101 Dalmatians prequel called Cruella and Peter Pan & Wendy in the pipeline as well. That’s quite an interesting list which Disney has to tread carefully since their animated versions are quite famous. That means that one wrong move can hamper the studio’s credibility.
There are a few other projects coming to Disney+ as well. The live-action Lady and the Tramp remake was a major win for the streaming service during its launch. Other shows that are coming to the streaming service are a Robin Hood remake, a Lilo & Stitch remake, a Gaston prequel TV series based on the live-action Beauty and the Beast film which starred Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, and a spinoff of the live-action Aladdin.
Originally, Hercules is a 1997 fantasy musical animated film. The story follows Hercules, son of Zeus, who is turned into a half-god, half-mortal by Hades. He ultimately discovers his immortal roots and Zeus directs him to return to Mount Olympus. However, to do that, he must perform a rite of passage on Earth to prove himself worthy.
The film generated a $252.7 million at the Box Office and was followed by the direct-to-video prequel Hercules: Zero to Hero. This was a pilot to Hercules: The Animated Series, which focused on Hercules during his time at the Prometheus Academy.
Disney has been enjoying quite a good time at the moment. Although its parks are closed and theatre releases have been stalled, Disney+ has seen exceptional growth in the last 5 months. As of April 2020, the streaming service boasts of 50 million subscribers.