A ‘Hercules’ Live-Action Adaptation Inspired by TikTok?

Fans are up in arms after a Variety interview with Joe Russo describes the upcoming musical remake as ‘modernized’ and ‘experimental,’ with possible inspiration by elements of the popular dancing app.

‘Hercules.’ Image © 1997 Walt Disney Pictures.

While fans happily await Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, another lesser known “modernized” adaptation is also in the pipeline. A Hercules live-action feature musical from the Russo brothers is currently in the works, an updated version of the 1997 animated features, but there is a twist: the experimental project may be inspired by TikTok. Huh?

Hercules will be directed by Guy Ritchie (Aladdin). “Guy is perfect for it because he has a penchant for experimentation,” said Joe Russo in an interview with Variety. "Hercules [is] a little bit more experimental in tone, a little bit more experimental in execution,” he added.

Extrapolating further on the TikTok aspect, Russo said, “There are questions about how you translate it as a musical. 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.”

While the buzzwords “modernized,” “experimental” and “TikTok” don’t help us glean much in the way of plot, fans are already up in arms.

For a film very much driven by its mythos and time period, there doesn’t seem to be much room for experimentation. Will Disney ever learn from their past live-action mifires? Regardless of fan doubts, the Russo brothers could assuage many hard feelings by hiring Danny DeVito as Phil.

L'Wren Alexa's picture

Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.