Summary

• Guy Ritchie's live-action Hercules remake is still in the works, but facing delays and uncertainty due to various issues.
• Producers Joe and Anthony Russo confirm the project is moving forward, but they are still waiting on a script from Ritchie.
• The remake aims to honor the original with a modern spin, but Disney's track record with live-action remakes is mixed.

Guy Ritchie's live-action Hercules remake is reportedly still moving forward. The project will mark Ritchie's second live-action remake of a Disney animated classic - following his 2019 remake of Aladdin, which saw Will Smith replace Robin Williams as the iconic genie. News surrounding the upcoming Hercules movie has been silent for months, especially following the Hollywood strikes which halted almost all production towards the end of 2023. But the film's producers, Joe and Anthony Russo (Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers: Endgame), have confirmed the movie is on the way. Just very slowly.

Speaking to GamesRadar+ about their upcoming projects, including Extraction 3 and The Gray Man 2, the Russo brothers were asked about Richie's Hercules remake. The pair confirmed the movie is still going ahead. However, it is hard to calculate a production timeline as they say they're still "waiting on a script" from Guy Ritchie.

The live-action remake was first confirmed in 2020, but has seen numerous delays, including the aforementioned strikes, as well as the COVID pandemic. Additionally, Guy Ritchie has been otherwise engaged with his own, original stories. Since the project was announced, Ritchie has directed and released four films; Wrath of Man, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, Guy Ritchie's the Covenant, and, most recently, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Ritchie has also produced a series adaptation of his 2019 hit The Gentleman, turning the feature film into an 8-episode show. It's hard to see how Ritchie will find the time to work on the planned Hercules remake, considering the upcoming projects in the director's pipeline. He currently has three new movies in various stages of production, including Aladdin 2, a sequel to his first live-action Disney remake, and a new TV show titled The Donovans.

The Russo brothers are equally busy in the coming years. The acclaimed directorial duo are overseeing The Electric State, a new action movie starring Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Ke Huy Quan, as well as a new drama series titled Miss Scarlett, revolving around the FTX cryptocurrency scandal. If that wasn't enough, they are also serving as producers and executive producers on 15 upcoming projects!

Disney's Hercules Remake Will Put a 'Modern Spin' on the Beloved Story

While Guy Ritchie is still tapped to direct the remake, almost all news about the project has come via its producers, Joe and Anthony Russo. Discussing the project back in 2022, the pair said the remake will honor the original, but "with a more modern spin."

"What Anthony and I love about the original is how funny and subversive it is. I think we try to embrace that sense of humor in the remake."

Disney has a tumultuous reputation for their live-action remakes. While The Jungle Book (2016), Pete's Dragon (2016), and Cruella (2021) were well received by fans and critics, the company has seen a long run of failures to get to that position. Dumbo (2019), The Lion King (2019), and Ritchie's own Aladdin (2019) were all slated by critics and fans, who seemed to agree that the remakes ultimately felt unnecessary.

Disney's animated Hercules is a cult-classic, retelling the story of the legendary Roman hero as an animated musical. The film also features an all-star cast, including Tate Donovan (Hercules), Danny DeVito (Philoctetes), James Woods (Hades), Susan Egan (Megara), Rip Torn (Zeus), Bobcat Goldthwait (Pain), and Matt Frewer (Panic).

No release window has been confirmed for Guy Ritchie's live-action Hercules remake. The animated Hercules movie is available to stream on Disney+.