In 1997, a certain Disney hero by the name of Hercules went from zero to hero. And he's set to repeat the trick in an upcoming live-action movie of the same name.
It's been confirmed that Hercules will be the next Disney reboot, reports Deadline. It follows hot on the heels of blockbuster success stories The Lion King and Aladdin. (Disney's remake of Chinese warrior epic Mulan is currently scheduled for 24th of July.)
And it gets better. Avengers: Endgame duo the Russo brothers are producing, with fellow Marvel brethren Dave Callaham on script duties. Callaham has penned upcoming Marvel Phase 4 movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, due for release in 2021.
The original Hercules took an irreverent, fast-talking approach to Greek mythology, with Tate Donovan voicing the hunky hero, and a scene-stealing James Woods portraying underworld god Hades. Danny DeVito voiced Hercules' mentor Phil.
Directed by Aladdin filmmakers Ron Clements and John Musker, Hercules grossed $252 million worldwide and bagged an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, in this case 'Go The Distance'.
The tune was composed by Disney regular Alan Menken with lyrics by David Zippel – given that Menken has reworked several of his earlier Disney scores in recent reboots, including Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, it remains to be seen if he'll be back.
