‘Hercules’ Live-Action Disney Movie Sets Guy Ritchie to Direct

Brian Welk
·2 min read
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Guy Ritchie is going Zero to Hero and will direct the live-action “Hercules” movie at Disney, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

Ritchie previously directed Disney’s live-action “Aladdin,” the 2019 blockbusters that surpassed $1 billion at the global box office. The “Hercules” live-action movie has “Avengers” directors Anthony and Joe Russo producing the film through their AGBO banner.

Dave Callaham (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) wrote the first draft of the script adapting the animated “Hercules” film, and Disney is now looking for writers for the project.

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The original animated movie from 1997 shows Hercules, the son of the God Zeus, growing up on Earth as a human but gifted with superhuman strength as he falls in love with the human Megara, as he works with a Satyr named Phil to become a true hero and as he aims to stop an evil plot by the lord of the Underworld Hades to release four monstrous titans to wreak havoc on the world.

The animated “Hercules” starred Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan and the late Rip Torn along with Bobcat Goldthwait, Hal Holbrook, Matt Frewer, Samantha Eggar, Josh Keaton and Paul Shaffer. The film grossed $252.7 million and was nominated for an Oscar for the original song “Go the Distance.”

Since “Aladdin,” Guy Ritchie has gone back to his roots with the Jason Statham action film “Wrath of Man” and March’s “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” also with Statham, the latter of which was released by STX. His next film is an untitled Afghanistan war movie that will star Jake Gyllenhaal and is being released by MGM in the U.S. He’s best known as the director of “Snatch,” “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and the “Sherlock Holmes” franchise with Robert Downey Jr.

CAA negotiated the deal for Ritchie to direct prior to the director exiting the agency to be represented by WME. Ritchie is also represented by attorney Matt Saver.

Deadline first reported the news.

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