Disney Ditches Hercules To Focus On "Hades" In Live-Action Overhaul, According To Reports

According to reports, Disney has reworked the Hercules live-action movie, ditching the Greek demigod to focus on Hades and his underworld antics instead. Daniel Richtman from Toonado.com claims the project has “undergone an extensive overhaul,” with the new version spotlighting the villain’s perspective and even naming the movie Hades. 

Casting rumors say Ariana Grande and Taron Egerton are reportedly up for the roles of Hercules and Meg, plus Dua Lipa as a possible contender for his love interest. Anthony and Joe Russo, signed on as producers, have made it clear they’re not here for a scene-for-scene replay of the original. 

"Both us and our kids are Hercules fanatics," Anthony explained. "And we had heard that Disney was interested in revisiting it and we’re in love with the original. And we made a case as to why we felt we would be right to produce that film and here we are."  

"I think you always have to bring something new to the table because from our perspective as storytellers, it’s not compelling for us to do a literal translation. We’ve already done that with our Marvel films,"Joe said. "We don’t do literal translations of the comics because we feel like if you want that story you can go read that story. We’re going to give you a different story. I think we’ll do something that’s in the vein of the original and inspired by it, but we also bring some new elements to the table."

Meanwhile, Disney is on a live-action spree, already working on Snow White, Lilo & Stitch, and Moana. These are all fun in theory, but audiences are getting worn out by the company’s lack of creativity, with many even dubbing the phenomenon “Disney fatigue.” 

Fans of Hercules aren’t holding back their disappointment. @GreytBeyond wrote on X, “Well at least when it sucks, it's not an attempt at being faithful to an awesome classic.” 

@expiryyt expressed a bit of hope, acknowledging the need for fresh ideas but still craving more, saying, “I appreciate the idea of not trying to make it just the same exact story, but like still. Give us something new please.” 

@mavpilgrim, who couldn’t hide their frustration with Hollywood’s obsession with villains: “Dumb. Stop idolizing, humanizing, and apologizing for Villainsm,” he wrote.

In my opinion, Hercules would have been the movie to do a live version of. It would be unique and refreshing to see a fit Greek demigod being heroic, especially when the media keeps pushing subpar and weak men down our throats. Hercules would’ve been a blast to see brought to life. But no, now we’re getting Hades instead. Maybe Hades will pull off something fresh. However, given all of the weak Disney adaptations we’ve seen for years, my expectations are low. 

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