Disney’s live-action Hercules remake will be ‘inspired by TikTok’

23 February 2024, 16:24 | Updated: 23 February 2024, 20:09

“Audiences today have been trained by TikTok, right? What is their expectation of what that musical looks like and feels like?”

Disney’s underrated banger Hercules is set to be one of the next animated movies to receive the live-action treatment. The Russo brothers (Avengers: Endgame, The Gray Man) will be producing the film and Guy Ritchie (who directed live-action Aladdin) will be directing.

Fans have incredibly high expectations for the adaption, particularly when it comes to casting the right actors for the roles. (Especially the Muses…)

The latest rumours and reports? Danny DeVito is reportedly set to return as the live-action version of his original character, Phil, according to The DisInsider. He previously expressed his hope to return in an interview with WIRED, saying: “Will Danny DeVito be in the live-action Hercules? I am the live-action Hercules, what are you talking about. Philoctetes? If they don’t put me in that they don’t have a hair on their ass.”

Back in July, Joe Russo teased excited fans that the remake will “pay homage to the original with a more modern spin on it,” and aimed to recapture the spirit of the 1997 classic. But the latest update on the project hasn’t gone over well with fans.

Here’s everything we know so far…

Live-action Hercules release date: When does it come out?

There’s no release date for live-action Hercules just yet. Speaking at the end of 2022 to ScreenDaily, Guy Ritchie said that he hoped to get the movie completed “within the year”. However, with the 2023 strikes that halted production across the entire industry, there will now be an understandable delay.

Casting hasn’t been announced and filming has not begun, but it seems like there won’t be too long a wait for fans excited to see the live-action version of the beloved Disney film.

Live-action Hercules cast: Who is playing Hercules and Megara?

No casting announcements have been shared just yet, and there’s barely any solid reports about who might have been approached to take on those two all important roles. (CBR previously published an unconfirmed rumour that Taron Egerton and Ariana Grande were being eyed for the lead roles but that should be taken with a grain of salt for now.)

Fans have been busy speculating and fan-casting their faves in the roles ever since it was announced. An early fan favourite for the role of Megara is Liz Gillies.

Michael B. Jordan, Jacob Elordi and Tom Holland have also popped up as fan favourite choices for Hercules.

Live-action Hercules cast: Who will play the Muses?

While Hercules and Meg will be key roles, all eyes are on who ends up playing the iconic and unforgettable Muses.

Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Jennifer Hudson, Amber Riley and more have all already thrown their name in the ring for a role as one of the singing narrators.

Jennifer previously played Calliope, the head muse, on a Disney cruise ship and threw her name into the ring while doing Wired’s Autocomplete Interview. Lizzo also reacted to a TikTok where fans were debating over which Muse she should hypothetically play.

We’ll update this article as soon as there is more information about the actors who’ll be taking on the roles.

Will live-action Hercules be the same as the Disney film?

In an interview with Variety, Joe and Anthony Russo teased that Hercules will be a “modern musical” inspired by… TikTok.

Noting how some of the recent Disney live-action have been criticised for playing it safe by following the source material too closely, Joe Russo explained that Hercules will take more of an “experimental” approach.

“[It’s] a little bit more experimental in tone, a little bit more experimental in execution,” he said. “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.”

Russo confirmed that Hercules will be a musical much like the Disney animated version, and it will share the original’s unconventional approach – with a slight twist, inspired by TikTok.

“There are questions about how you translate it as a musical,” Russo continued. “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.”

Will it take inspiration from the viral Unofficial Bridgerton Musical? The crowd-sourced Ratatouille musical that went viral on the platform? Or are they talking about the vibe, humour and tone in general? Your guess is as good as ours…

The recent Mean Girls remake experimented with how the use of social media can shape a movie musical. Will Hercules go down that route?