Guy Ritchie Reportedly Abandons Disney’s Hercules Live Action Remake
Guy Ritchie, the maestro behind Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes and many British gangster movies, was all set to direct Disney’s live-action Hercules remake. Based on a Greek legend, the 1997 film explored the myth and fantasy lore of Hercules’s story. Tate Donovan was the titular hero, alongside seasoned actors like Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Hegan, Rip Torn, Samantha Eggar, Bobcat Goldthwait, Matt Frewer, Hal Holbroo, and Barbara Barrie.
Hercules garnered quite positive reviews from critics, with James Woods’ performance fetching him praise. However, despite being a hit with critics, it underperformed at the box office compared to previous Disney films. Ultimately, it grossed $252.7 million in box office revenue worldwide. It is still a Disney classic and with the live-action trend at Disney, the House of Mouse was looking to adapt Hercules to live-action. However, if reports are to be believed, Guy Ritchie, who was previously in charge of the film, has apparently abandoned the project.
Guy Ritchie Is No Longer Directing The Hercules Live Action Remake (Reports)
Guy Ritchie is no newbie when it comes to Disney live-action remakes. He has previously pulled off the 2019 live-action Aladdin in a commendable way. From cinematography to musical scores, it was one of the few live-action Disney movies that truly hit the sweet spot. Deadline first reported that Ritchie is all set to direct the new Hercules live-action, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ Dave Callaham as the writer and Avengers: Endgame duo Joe and Anthony Russo as producers.
Also Read: Jake Gyllenhaal Is Set To Return In Guy Ritchie’s Thriller The Interpreter
With Disney’s recent epic failures, controversies, and Bob Iger’s eagerness to prioritize quality over quantity, it is no wonder that Disney turned to Guy Ritchie for this upcoming project. Aladdin had a momentous success and it became his first movie to cross the billion-dollar mark. Among all the recent Marvel and Disney live-action failures, the company can really use some good numbers at the box office right now.
However, recently, industry insider DanielRPK gave a major scoop: Ritchie has reportedly abandoned Disney’s project for some unknown reason. When The Hollywood Handle posted the update on X (formerly Twitter), fans were vocal in their demand to cancel the project altogether. Check out some of the fan reactions below.
I don’t want Disney Hercules movie anymore then
— Ayman (@GuyWhoConquers) January 17, 2024
cancel it
— Adam 👐🏽 (@adampw03) January 17, 2024
Dude has a lot of movies to make, I wouldn't be surprised if he left one of those projects, not to mention the whole thing with the change in schedules caused by the strike
— Owen H.✨️ (@OH_squire) January 17, 2024
While they’re at it, pic.twitter.com/fd2jZ2IkIF
— Jesse Vinterlik (@JesseVinterlik) January 17, 2024
BRING HIM BACK WTF
— sabrina 🦇 (@nightwaynes) January 17, 2024
However, the fans are advised to take everything with a grain of salt, as nothing has been officially confirmed so far.
What Would Have Been Guy Ritchie’s Vision For Hercules?
There were no reports as to whether the live-action remake would include the iconic songs from the 1997 original. The songs in the original Disney animations are deemed the best part of them, and they have been woven into the fabric of Disney fans’ minds. Even Guy Ritchie agreed in a conversation with EW back when he was working with Aladdin and nodded that Disney purists would not want the live actions to lack too many elements of the animated originals.
“Clearly, people are very attached to the original songs and clearly that’s part of the DNA. So we didn’t really want to stray from the original stuff, just an embellishment with a couple of new tracks.”
Also Read: Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie Are Back Together With Yet Another Thriller!
Joe Russo, on the other hand, had said that the film would not shy away from experiments while retaining its original flavor, claiming that the adaptation would draw influence from TikTok (via. Variety).
“A little bit more experimental in tone, a little bit more experimental in execution.”
Last time, it was heard that the movie had already started its production so Guy Ritchie dropping out of the project all of a sudden does come as a great surprise.
Hercules (1997) is streaming on Disney+.
