The Russo Brothers, producers of the upcoming 1997 live-action remake of Disney’s Hercules, say the film will be inspired in part by TikTok.
The Russo Brothers’ upcoming live-action adaptation of the Disney movie Hercules will take inspiration from TikTok. Considered a part of the Disney Renaissance era, the 1997 film Hercules is an animated musical loosely based on Greek mythology. While the film underperformed at the box office than previous Disney films, Hercules has since become a beloved film that spawned 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 to Titanic‘My heart will go on’.
In April 2020, it was announced that a live-action remake of Hercules was moving at Disney, and that Marvel directors Joe and Anthony Russo would produce it. The Russos said their version of the film will not be a shot-by-shot reproduction of the 1997 film, but rather: “something that is in line with the original and inspired by it.” They have gone on to say that their… Hercules will be given a modern twist, and that they especially want to embrace the humor of the original. Last June, Guy Ritchie, who directed the 2019 live action aladdin remake, signed up to direct the new one Hercules movie. While there have been no casting updates so far, Danny has asked DeVito (who famously voiced Phil in the 1997 film) to appear in the remake.
In an interview with VarietyJoe Russo says that Hercules will get inspiration on how to perform a modern TikTok musical. He also notes that this remake of Hercules strives to be more experimental than the original 1997 film. Read Russo’s commentary below:
“There are questions about how to translate it as a musical. The public is trained by TikTok these days, right? What is their expectation of what that musical looks and feels like? That can be a lot of fun and help us push the boundaries a little bit in how you perform a modern musical.”
What the new Hercules adaptation could look like
While there have been few updates on how this latest version of Hercules will differ from the source material, both Ritchie and the Russo Brothers seem intent on making this Disney remake different from others. Joe Russo adds that, with HerculesDisney wants”stretch the boundaries of their IP, instead of playing IP management.The studio has received some criticism in recent years for doing little to change their films in the transition to live-action, with titles like aladdin and The lionking attract special anger. utilities, Hercules seems to follow the new Little Mermaid‘s cue in charting a new path.
Therefore, it seems that the public has an updated Hercules moving forward. The live-action movie could take a more accurate approach with its mythology, which would certainly affect how the story progresses. The experimental aspect mentioned by the Russos could also indicate that: Hercules will put a unique twist on the hero’s journey, while the TikTok element may have to do with putting the musical numbers in a new way. While previous Disney remakes have left audiences unimpressed, there is hope that the live-action remake of The little Mermaid will change that. With the film debuting 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 definitely trying to make a unique version of it Hercules that has never been tried before.
Source: Variety
