It’s been well over a year since reports surfaced that the Russo brother (Avengers: Endgame) would be producing a live-action Hercules at Disney, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings scribe, Dave Callaham. Since then, we have received tiny updates from the Russo’s but no major developments.
Dave Callaham recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and he revealed he was a bit hesitant on joining the project at first, but he was eventually swayed to sign on by the Russo’s. “I was hesitant at first. I was eager to work with them [Joe and Anthony Russo], but nervous about how many times Hercules has been attempted in ways that some people might say have not been as successful. I know this is different. I know this is a Disney Hercules and that there’s an existing movie and a thing that people love, but I did struggle for quite some time with, “How would I make a live-action version of Hercules stand out from all the other Herculeses?” When I ultimately told them how I thought I could do that, they were receptive and they championed me.”
Callaham also revealed it is still in development simply saying, “We are still working on it.”
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Joe and Anthony Russo are producing through their AGBO production banner. AGBO is behind hit films starring multiple MCU alums including Extraction (Chris Hemsworth), 21 Bridges (Chadwick Boseman), and Cherry (Tom Holland). They are currently in post-production on their upcoming action film The Gray Man starring Chris Evans, and will soon begin production on a sequel to Extraction, with Hemsworth set to return. So, I would be shocked if an MCU alum isn’t considered for a role in Hercules.
A director has not been announced yet but I have heard there is a shortlist the studio is interested in (I’d be shocked if Extraction director, Sam Hargrave isn’t on that list). The script was completed earlier this year and is unknown if rewrites have since taken place. The film is expected to incorporate some of the music from the animated film, however, it is not expected to be a musical.
Released in 1997 by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Hercules (Tate Donovan), follows a son of gods, who was snatched as a baby by Hades (James Woods) 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 (Danny DeVito), along for the ride, Hercules must learn how to use his strength to defeat a series of evil creatures.
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