The live-action Hercules is drawing inspiration from some surprising places. According to a report by Variety, the film is going to be partially inspired by social media - namely, TikTok.
The original Hercules premiered in 1997 and was itself quite experimental in tone. A musical like most of Disney’s fare at the time, the film took inspiration from the Greek legend of Heracles, son of Zeus. It was not very faithful to the original myth, and featured plenty of references to then-contemporary pop culture alongside the incorporation of musical styles of the day. Hercules has always been a film with a 'modern spin'.
In a Variety piece in which the Russo brothers are interviewed, Joe Russo says that the film will be “a little bit more experimental in tone, a little bit more experimental in execution,” further going on to say “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”. He clarifies what he means later on, stating, “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.”
The Russo brothers will be onboard as producers of the film. Though no casting decisions have been announced yet, Danny DeVito has said that he’d like to return as Hercules’ satyr coach, Phil. The live-action Hercules will be directed by Guy Ritchie. Ritchie previously helmed Disney's live-action Aladdin remake, which was met with a lukewarm reception (similar to Disney's other live-action endeavors).
Russo’s comments were probably a bit overblown. While the film is sure to take its cues from some surprising sources - many films do - it probably won’t be quite as blatant as fans think. The TikTok comparisons are probably something that was tossed around in the writer’s room, but probably shouldn’t have been shared publicly for this exact reason: fans took it as an absurd and very “out there” comparison to make. Though the live-action Hercules was never going to be like the original, the fans don't seem too happy about this development.
Source: Variety