A live-action remake of Disney's Hercules from 1997 is in the works and there are already rumors surrounding the mythological musical remake's all-star cast.
Reports of a live-action adaptation of the demigod's journey from zero to hero first surfaced in April 2020 via The Hollywood Reporter, along with news of Avengers: Endgame's Joe and Anthony Russo attached as producers.
This was followed by confirmation (via Variety) of Guy Ritchie, the director of 2019's Aladdin, signing on to direct.
Now, amidst new casting claims and news of other upcoming Disney remakes, here's everything we know about a live-action Hercules.
When Is Disney's Live-Action Hercules Releasing in Theaters?
Disney has yet to announce a release date for Hercules, and any previous updates were shared before the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
While it's tough to say when a premiere date will be confirmed, fans shouldn't expect this animated feature until 2026 at the earliest. Disney already has Mufasa: The Lion King releasing December 20, 2024, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on March 21, 2025, and Moana on June 27, 2025.
Who's Cast in Disney's Live-Action Hercules?
At the moment, no official cast announcements have been made for the Hercules remake.
However, insider scooper Daniel Richtman reported that Disney is eyeing Kingsman: The Secret Service and Rocketman's Taron Egerton for the role of Hercules.
This makes sense since Egerton not only resembles the animated Herc, but he can also sing, just as he did in Rocketman and the animated Sing franchise.
For Meg, Hercules' sassy, self-assured love interest, Disney is reportedly considering Ariana Grande who, interestingly enough, has already covered Hercules' "Zero to Hero" and "I Won't Say I'm in Love."
As for Phil, Ancient Greece's crabby satyr and hero trainer, Danny Devito was in talks before the SAG-AFTRA strike to reprise his role from the 1997 film.
Is Disney's Live-Action Hercules a Sequel?
From what's currently known about the film, it doesn't look like the future remake will be a sequel.
However, Disney fans shouldn't expect a beat-for-beat retelling of the animated classic in the style of Jon Favreau's The Lion King as Disney's live-action Hercules is adopting a different approach.
Back in 2022, Joe Russo confirmed to Variety that the remake wouldn't be "a reinterpretation of the animated film" but rather "experimental in tone."
The Marvel director even alluded to the musical's social media influences, noting how today's audiences "have been trained by TikTok:"
“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.”
Disney's original animated Hercules is available to stream now on Disney+.
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