Hercules is getting a live-action remake from Disney. The hilarious animation was a part of Disney’s so-called renaissance period in the '90s when every movie had a princess and a musical number. There are a lot of titles getting this treatment nowadays, as Disney targets the nostalgia of its millennial fans. Despite the limited popularity of Hercules at the time of its release, it has aged extraordinarily well, having been featured in video games and memes that have kept it from being forgotten. Now, Disney is reviving the film as it journeys on through this age of reboots and necessary source material.
But as Disney begins to bring Hercules back into its pantheon of relevant movies, it enters dangerous territory. Live-action remakes of animated films have a long tradition of failing, and there are some performances in the original film that just might not be able to be replicated without the same actors. And like any reboot of anything, Disney must walk that thin line of balancing fan service with originality, a dance that, no matter what, is bound to displease someone.
Certainly, this will be quite the labor for Disney. But it couldn’t be as hard as going into the Underworld to rescue your lost love. Wait, wasn't that Orpheus? Well, regardless, it's important to ask: what can Disney do to keep its fans happy?
Careful Hercules Casting
FX
Guy Ritchie has already been named as the director for the film, likely because he’s done this before. He directed the 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin. While it was a far cry from Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels – probably because it was Aladdin – it was still a relative success. It was poorly received by critics, but the movie made more than $1 billion at the box office. Fans seemed to be of two minds about it as well. Generally, people thought it was the best of all the live-action remakes so far, even if some die-hard fans still prefer Maleficent. This statistically weighted success was likely Disney’s biggest motivator for hiring Ritchie for a second time. And while Hercules is different from Aladdin in many ways, the two movies share many of the same challenges.
While it’s difficult to cast live-action performers to replace animated characters in any movie, Hercules and Aladdin faced particular difficulties. Will Smith had a hard time replacing the impossibly unique performance of Robin Williams as Genie, and some see the same problem arising with James Woods’ Hades and Danny DeVito’s Phil. Certainly two show-stealing characters in many ways, they managed to capture our attention in ways that other actors might not be able to match. James Woods playing the villain brought a relaxed style that was ready to snap at any moment to the film, and his unique voice and pacing gave the character an individuality that just can’t be replicated. And what can be said about Danny DeVito? He brings a special spark of insanity to whatever character he plays. While Phil is very different from the Penguin or Frank Reynolds, he was still a scrappy little motivator that really brought the heart to Hercules.
Naturally, there are already rumors about who might be cast in the new film. And ironically enough, fans are already calling for Danny DeVito to reprise his role. It wouldn’t be such a stretch to see him dressed up in goat legs and some horns. DeVito has certainly worn weirder costumes in It’s Always Sunny alone. And despite the actor’s age, he maintains the energy and spirit of a plump young satyr.
But the role of Hades is surrounded by some contention. Some fans would like to see James Woods play the Ruler of the Underworld once more. But a very popular meme has made its way around the internet and into the hands of the legendary Bruce Campbell. Someone juxtaposed a photo of Bruce as Pizza Poppa with a (poorly) photoshopped image of him with blue skin and a head full of fire. And we have to admit, he would make a great Hades, and James Woods might not be up for another go-around at Disney. Although Bruce Campbell confirmed this was just a rumor on Twitter, either way, the fans can’t lose.
Honoring the Old and Creating the New
Disney has done a good job in the past of making new movies out of their old titles. And they’ll face that challenge again in this upcoming struggle. While a lot of the remakes have taken that dare of creating a whole new movie while providing fan service to fans of the old one, there’s always that shadow looming overhead of how drastically bad some of these live-action remakes can be. And although Disney hasn’t quite cracked the code on making a “good” live-action remake, they have consistently managed to keep their head above water with the previous films.
But what’s important with Hercules is that they keep the spirit of the movie alive. It’s not hard to put a muscle-bound comedian in for the lead role, but that person should have a bit of a heroic fantasy about themselves as well. And even though we know that Disney is trying to capitalize on their old era of success, maybe they should put a hold on the music. After all, there’s already a place for live-action musicals, and it’s called Broadway. Incidentally, the Hercules musical produced by Disney is still playing and hasn’t quite made it to the big time yet. So that should give them something to go on.