The Russo Brothers and Disney Are Reportedly Experiencing “Creative Tensions” Over ‘Hercules’
Just when it looked like the Disney live-action remake era was ending, Lilo & Stitch shattered box office records and will soon be Disney’s next billion-dollar film.
With David Greenbaum now in control of Walt Disney Pictures and both The Little Mermaid and Snow White failing to live up to expectations, the prevailing notion was that Disney would at least pause its live-action remake strategy.
Photo: Variety
To that end, over the last several months, the studio pulled the plug on Bambi and The Sword in the Stone remakes and stopped production on the live-action Tangled project. Now that Lilo & Stitch has managed to rekindle the magic, however, the studio may change course.
Enter ‘Hercules’
Looking ahead, two live-action remakes seem set to hit theaters. The first is Disney’s long-gestating Moana remake, which will hit theaters in 2026.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/WireImage)
Additionally, there is Hercules.
Initially announced in April 2020, Disney’s Hercules remake was originally set to be written by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings scribe Dave Callaham and produced by the Russo Brothers.
Eventually, Guy Ritchie was brought on board to spruce up the script and direct.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
While Hercules is still in production, updates on the project have been few and far between. Now, we may have an indication as to why.
Creative Tensions
According to a new report from insider Daniel Richtman, there have been “creative tensions” behind the scenes of Hercules.
Essentially, the Russo Brothers want to tell a story that focuses on Hades, making the god of the underworld the film’s titular star.
Disney, however, would prefer that the film be a faithful adaptation of the original animated film.
Neither Option Sounds Ideal
Interestingly, both the Russos and Disney seem to be chasing a narrative structure that was popular a decade ago, but has largely run its course.
Image: Disney
Once upon a time, creating films that shined a new light on popular villains, often representing them as misunderstood, was fresh and edgy. Eleven years after Maleficent was released, the idea seems cheesy and tired.
On the other hand, despite the recent success of Lilo & Stitch, it remains to be seen if audiences will still turn out for a straight-laced live-action remake of animated films. The releases of The Little Mermaid and Snow White would seem to indicate that they will not.
Photo: Disney
In 2018, the idea of either a Hades movie or a live-action Hercules would have seemed like a recipe for success. Now, it sounds like a battle between two creatively bankrupt options.
