Disney’s live-action remake of Hercules is going to be a TikTok-inspired musical. Joe Russo, who is producing the film with his brother Anthony, told Variety that they want to make a film that is “a little bit more experimental in tone, a little bit more experimental in execution.” He went on to say that they want something that “isn’t just a reinterpretation of the animated film.” Explaining why they are taking the TikTok approach, Russo explained, “Audiences today have been trained by TikTok, right? What is their expectation of what that musical looks like and feels like? That can be a lot of fun and help us push the boundaries a little bit on how you execute a modern musical.”
TikTok-Inspired Remake of a Disney Classic
The Russo brothers have hinted before that they want to take experimental approach with Hercules. According to IGN, the brothers have praised the Disney movie from 1997 for being “funny” and “subversive,” and they want to keep that spirit in this remake. At the same time, they want to experiment and not be so faithful that the film has nothing unique to it. This is a complaint that certain remakes of Disney films, such as The Lion King and Aladdin, have faced. Interestingly, the live-action take on Disney’s Hercules will be directed by Guy Ritchie, who directed the Aladdin remake.
Disney has many other live-action remakes coming up, along with Hercules. We have a remake of The Little Mermaid to look forward to next year, and we’ve also got a remake of Lilo & Stitch coming to Disney+. While some of these remakes have been panned (e.g., Mulan and Pinocchio), some have actually proven to be quite impressive, such as Kenneth Branaugh’s remake of Cinderella. Time will tell if Hercules will prove to be a standout.
