Joe Russo revealed that Disney’s live-action remake of “Hercules” will be “experimental” and inspired by the social media channel TikTok in a new interview with Variety.
When discussing the upcoming film, which he’s producing with his brother Anthony through their independent studio AGBO, Russo explained that rather than playing too close to the 1997 animated version, this will be “a little bit more experimental in tone, a little bit more experimental in execution.” He added that Disney, who have been criticized for having their remakes stay too close to the originals, supports this new concept, saying “I think they’re excited to see what we can all bring to it in a way that isn’t just a reinterpretation of the animated film.”
Back in June, it was announced that Guy Ritchie (“Sherlock Holmes,” “Aladdin”) will direct the film. Russo expressed his excitement at having Ritchie on board: “Guy is perfect for it because he has [a] penchant for experimentation.”
One thing that the animated and the live-action versions will have in common is that they will both be musicals. Russo noted that the musical style will be just as unique as the rest of the film, taking its inspiration from TikTok: “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.”
Joe and Anthony Russo are perhaps best known for their work with Marvel Studios, directing such blockbuster hits as “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame.” While they’re not currently working on anything for Marvel, Joe didn’t necessarily close the door on returning, stating “we won’t be ready to do anything with Marvel until the end of the decade.”
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