A new report claimed that Disney and the Russo Brothers are at odds over the creative direction of the House of Mouse's upcoming live-action remake of another timeless classic. The Russo Brothers (Joe and Anthony Russo) have a strong connection to Disney due to their involvement with some of Marvel Studios' most significant past and future projects. The directing duo made its debut on the Marvel brand (and in Disney's corner) when it helmed 2014's Captain America: Winter Soldier, which would then lead to their involvement in several of the MCU's biggest projects: Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
While they took a break on the Marvel front to focus on projects produced by their production company, AGBO, the pair is back in the director's chair for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Amid their involvement in the Marvel front, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) shared in April 2020 that the Russo Brothers are attached to produce a live-action remake of Disney's 1997 animated classic, Hercules. In June 2022, Variety reported that Aladdin director Guy Ritchie is attached to direct the upcoming Hercules remake (which, currently, has no release date yet).
While development for Hercules is ongoing, a new report from Daniel Richtman claimed that there are creative tensions between Disney and the Russo Brothers over the direction of the upcoming live-action remake of Hercules.
The entertainment insider shared that the Russos want to embrace a new direction for the remake and make Hades the story's focal point. The directing duo also reportedly wanted to retitle the film to Hades instead of Hercules. However, Disney is pushing for a more faithful adaptation for the live-action remake.
In the 1997 animated classic, Hades (voiced by James Wood) is the main villain who snatches baby Hercules and forces him to live among the mortals. In the film, he remained a consistent threat to Hercules as he tried to prevent him from restoring his godhood.
Interestingly, in a previous interview with Variety in November 2022, Joe Russo previously mentioned that their take on Hercules will be a "little bit more experimental in tone [and] execution," while also saying that "[Disney] is excited" to see what they can bring:
"'Hercules' [will be] a little bit more experimental in tone, a little bit more experimental in execution. I think they’re excited to see what we can all bring to it in a way that isn’t just a reinterpretation of the animated film."
If the directing duo's plan pushes through, Russos' potential approach to the live-action Hercules remake would be similar to what Robert Stromberg and Linda Woolverton did for the Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent movie, which placed the focus on the titular villain instead of Aurora (aka the Sleeping Beauty).
As of writing, Hercules has no official release date yet. Daniel Richtman said in a previous report in April 2023 that Taron Egerton is being eyed for the titular role.
Why Hades Could Be the Perfect Focus of Disney's Live Action Hercules
Although Hercules and his love for Meg took the spotlight in the 1997 animated classic, many fans have pointed out that Hades was one of the standout characters that made the movie entertaining, mostly thanks to James Wood's voice acting performance.
In addition, Hades is not that bad in the original mythology compared to his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon. He is more of a misunderstood god, known for being impartial and stern when making decisions.
While Hercules will still be in it, focusing on Hades in the live-action remake would allow the film to stand out and dive deeper into the god's perspective, portraying him more sympathetically while exploring more of his backstory.
Following Snow White's disappointing box office performance and the shelving of another live-action remake of Tangled, many would agree that allowing a more experimental approach like what the Russos are proposing would be an ideal next step.
