Disney Reportedly Makes Major Change to Upcoming Live-Action Remake Plans

According to a new report, one of Disney's upcoming live-action remakes is undergoing a major creative change mid-development. One of the House of Mouse's latest strategies at the multiplex has been releasing live-action retellings of some of its animated classics, bringing forth beloved stories like The Little Mermaid, Snow White, and (most recently) Lilo & Stitch for a new generation of Disney-loving fans. Another remake still on the list for the studio is the forthcoming live-action Hercules, which has now been in development for nearly half a decade.

New information has been revealed about the upcoming live-action Hercules remake, which was reportedly set to be a significant departure from the original film. The Russo Brothers-produced project was initially pitched as a potential Hades-focused story, flipping the script and putting the spotlight on the original movie's villain rather than the God-like hero of the animated classic. 

In a new report, DisInsider revealed a significant change coming to the live-action Hercules remake. 

According to the known Disney insider, the upcoming movie is moving away from its original plan to be a Hades-centric story to being more of a faithful adaptation of the 1997 animated classic: 

"This project has gone through some creative struggles both from the studio side and the creatives side. While a retooled 'Hercules' story was the route the creatives wanted to go, the studio has decided the direction they will go is a faithful adaptation of the animated film, which you can thank the success of 'Lilo & Stitch' for."

This comes hot off the heels of the recent Disney hit, Lilo & Stitch, which (for the most part) stayed faithful to the original source material, telling the same story almost beat-for-beat as its animated source material. Lilo has managed to earn nearly $1 billion in its time in theaters to this point.

The live-action Hercules remake has been in development since 2020, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings writer Dave Callaham set to pen the script. Since its first announcement, Guy Richie (the man behind the live-action Aladdin) has been brought to the project to direct and rewrite Callaham's initial script.

The last time fans heard about Hercules, producers Joe and Anthony Russo were reportedly unhappy with the state of the remake and were feuding with Disney over where they wanted it to go. No casting or release information for the new Hercules movie has been made public.

Why Does This Hercules Change Make Sense?

The Hercules live-action remake is not only one of the most anticipated projects from Disney right now, but also one of the most troubled. It has been five years since the project was first announced, and fans still do not know when the movie is coming out, who has been cast in it, and what it will look/sound like. 

This reported creative retooling is likely an effort by the long-standing Hollywood studio to get the remake on track and moving forward. 

While a villain-focused Hades story could have worked, Disney proved as such with the pair of Maleficent movies from the mid-to-late 2010s, but fans of these remakes have largely been wanting to see their childhood favorites reimaged for the big screen. 

Straight across remakes of the animated source material (like Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon) have been where the money is made. In contrast, a more creatively retooled story could risk turning off longtime fans who simply want a hit of nostalgia.

That is not to say the Hades-centered Hercules movie would not have been good, but a more faithful adaptation feels like the safer choice in the particularly risk-averse theatrical environment we find ourselves in.