The Russo Brothers' upcoming live-action adaptation of the Disney film Hercules will take inspiration from TikTok. Considered a part of the Disney Renaissance era, the 1997 film Hercules is an animated musical based loosely on Greek mythology. While the film underperformed at the box office compared to previous Disney films, Hercules has since become a beloved movie that garnered a short TV series and a stage adaptation. The film was nominated for Best Song at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes in 1998, but lost out to Titanic's "My Heart Will Go On."
In April 2020, it was announced that a live-action remake of Hercules was in motion at Disney, and that Marvel directors Joe and Anthony Russo would be producing it. The Russos said that their version of the film won't be a shot-for-shot recreation of the 1997 movie, but rather, "something that's in the vein of the original and inspired by it." They have gone on to say that their Hercules will have a modern spin, and that they especially want to embrace the humor of the original. This past June, Guy Ritchie, who directed the 2019 live-action Aladdin remake, signed on to direct the new Hercules film. While there has been no casting updates as of yet, Danny DeVito (who famously voiced Phil in the 1997 movie) has asked to appear in the remake.
In an interview with Variety, Joe Russo says that Hercules will be taking inspiration on how to execute a modern musical from TikTok. He also notes that this remake of Hercules is aiming to be more experimental than the original 1997 film. Read Russo's comment below:
“There are questions about how you translate it as a musical. 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.”
What the New Hercules Adaptation Could Look Like
Though there have been few updates on how this newest version of Hercules will differ from its source material, both Ritchie and the Russo Brothers seem intent on making this Disney remake different from others. Joe Russo adds that, with Hercules, Disney wants to "stretch the limits of their IP moving forward, rather than playing IP management." The studio has received some flack in recent years for doing little to change up their movies in the transition to live-action, with titles like Aladdin and The Lion King drawing particular ire. Now, Hercules seems to be following the new Little Mermaid's cue in carving a new path.
Therefore, it seems audiences can expect an updated Hercules going forward. The live-action movie might opt to take a more accurate approach with its mythology, which would certainly impact how the story progresses. The experimental aspect mentioned by the Russos could also hint that Hercules will put a unique spin on the hero's journey, while the TikTok element might have to do with staging the musical numbers in a new way. Whereas past Disney remakes have left audiences underwhelmed, there is hope that the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid will change that. With the film set to debut in May 2023, how The Little Mermaid performs could change the making of Hercules, which is still in pre-production. What a TikTok-inspired Disney remake could mean is up for debate, but the Russo Brothers are certainly endeavoring to make a unique version of Hercules that has never been attempted before.
Source: Variety