DVDizzy Forum

Sotiris wrote:We don't know yet if the muses have been cut. The characters can still exist in some way, perhaps as narrators, even without the songs. Also, they will probably cast a Black actor as Hercules like the stage musical did, so I doubt it will get any blowback in this department.

Sotiris wrote: I think Disney will do what they did with Mulan and will obfuscate the fact it won't be a musical until the last minute.

Q: How did you team with the Russo brothers for Disney’s live-action Hercules?

Dave Callaham: I had a relationship with them that dated back to somewhere in between Civil War and Infinity War. I had met with them on a different project. I worked on a thing with them that didn’t go anywhere and we just had a good relationship. I think we appreciated one another and the way we all approached storytelling. And then they vanished for two or three years to go shoot those two movies back-to-back. Then they called me two years ago now and said, “We have this thing and we think you’d be great for it. It’s Hercules.” I was hesitant at first. I was eager to work with them, but nervous about how many times Hercules has been attempted in ways that some people might say have not been as successful. I know this is different. I know this is a Disney Hercules and that there’s an existing movie and a thing that people love, but I did struggle for quite some time with, “How would I make a live-action version of Hercules stand out from all the other Herculeses?” When I ultimately told them how I thought I could do that, they were receptive and they championed me and they’ve been great. We are still working on it.

Q: Can you talk about what drew you to the project?

Dave Callaham: I'm not going to tell you how old I am. But I grew up on The Little Mermaid and The Lion King. Now that I understand Disney history a little bit better, it's a different era than Hercules Mulan. I wasn't as familiar with them to be honest. It just wasn't my core Disney texts. I got a call from the Russo brothers coming out of Infinity War, I think, or Endgame, one of the two. They said, "We're going to do this thing at Disney. We want to do Hercules.” And I had to revisit the movie actually, to even be a hundred percent sure I remember it well. And we just talked a lot about what was fun about it and what was exciting about the title. I think it's pretty easy to extrapolate why those guys might be great producers or directors for a piece of material like that. Because you could probably guess that a Hercules live action movie will have more action in it than Cinderella, perhaps. So they were the right fit and they brought it to me, and I've wanted to work with them. And I watched the movie with my daughter who loved it, which was not nothing. And we talked about how we might update it and we're still doing that.

Q: Will you have any curveballs up your sleeve?

Dave Callaham: I can tell you that it's been an exciting project, and I have been blown away by the amount of discourse around it at this early stage. Even the moment it was announced. I mean, I've worked at Marvel, I've worked on Wonder Woman 1984, giant titles. And Hercules is by far the most interaction I've ever seen in terms of the minute the project went out. Because suddenly, you're seeing fan casting. And I will say that the Muses are very, very, just critical to that story. And they're very well thought of in the culture. So we've gotten a lot of input on the Muses. It's just been fascinating to see it. I don't take it lightly. I want to respect all of that and do right by everybody.

Q: Oh, yeah. The Lizzo and Cardi B video. People are freaking out.

Dave Callaham: That's basically a not very Disneyfied audition tape to be a Muse, isn't it? I mean, it's awesome. It's great. We should be so lucky.

Jennifer Hudson recently made a pitch to Disney for a role in the upcoming live-action remake of Hercules, and it may have worked as she’s now said to be in talks with the studio. A source has now revealed to Metro.co.uk that she’s a favourite with Disney to play one of the five all-singing gospel Muses. The insider told us: ‘The producers are in informal talks with actors and artists they want to appear in the live-action release and are keen on casting The Muses soon. ‘At the moment they are most interested in Jennifer Hudson, The Shindellas, Teyonah Parris and a number of Broadway stars.’

Disney's Divinity wrote:Wasn't the Lizzo and Cardi B thing posted here? Hmm. But maybe that comparison was already out in the ether. If JHUD and/or Lizzo took the two key Muse roles, I would be ecstatic.

EDIT: If those two panned out, Anika Noni Rose would be perfect as one of the others. For the remaining two, there are so many names that would be great. I would love Beyonce for a full-on Dreamgirls reunion, but I don't think she'd be willing to go for anything but the lead Muse. Alicia Keys and Cynthia Erivo (already working with Disney on Pinocchio) are great ideas, too. If JHUD actually were to come aboard, Ariana as Meg might have a higher likelihood considering Ariana and JHUD have collaborated several times. Ariana wouldn't be a great actress, but probably better than other choices these people would think about. I believe I said it in the past but the actress who played Cruella (I forget her name right off) would have been close to a perfect Meg, imo.

That said, if it came down to Hudson to choose who’d star alongside her as a muse in the upcoming Disney live-action adaptation of Hercules– in which she’s rumoured to play Calliope, FYI – she says: ‘I’m good at casting, I want you to know!’ Her top picks? Kelly Rowland, Ariana Grande, Lizzo, H.E.R and Normani, of course.

Disney's Divinity wrote:Just wanted to say Disney would be even more insane now not to make the film with JHUD starring, she just became an EGOT at the Tony's a few nights back. Only the third Black woman to have managed that feat, too! A star like that one could lift this film--and it's not like Hercules' chances of being huge were ever as sure as something like B&tB, Aladdin, etc. They would need the extra star power.

EXCLUSIVE: After watching his live-action transfer of Disney’s animated Aladdin become his first film to crack the billion-dollar gross mark, Guy Ritchie is back in business with the studio. This time, he’s overseeing a live-action film based on the Disney animated film Hercules.

The film will be produced by AGBO, the production company run by Avengers: Endgame directors Joe & Anthony Russo. The studio is in the process of hiring writers after Dave Callaham wrote a first draft.

Disney's Divinity wrote:I would be happy about that news except I remember Ritchie wanted to nix the songs in Aladdin. The only reason that didn't happen is because Disney put their foot down with that one.

Sotiris wrote: I hope they learned their lesson after Mulan and they'll keep the songs in this time.

Patricier21 wrote:Interesting could this possibly mean a live action Hercules and the Arabian night crossover movie/event? After all Bob Chapek did say that he wants to focus on brand merging and crossovers……

Disney's Divinity wrote:Disney's Mulan, was a complete disaster at the box office.