Hercules: Disney working on live-action remake produced by Russo brothers

There’s already a Change.org petition for Ariana Grande to play Meg

Disney is developing a live-action remake of its 1997 animated movie Hercules.

The original film was a musical retelling of the Greek legend of Zeus's son Hercules, a demigod looking to reclaim his heroic stature.

The studio has hired Dave Callaham, who launched the Expendables franchise and Marvel’s upcoming Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, to write the script.

The filmmakers behind the Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War, Joe and Anthony Russo, are set to produce.

There have been several casting rumours in recent weeks. ​Ariana Grande's performance of the movie’s “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” during The Disney Family Singalong led to there being a petition on Change.org for her to play Megara, the female lead.

Other fans have been campaigning for Danny DeVito to reprise his role from the animation as the satyr Phil.

Fans were excited by the news of a Hercules remake. One wrote: “Okay unlike Mulan I need Hercules to be a shot by shot remake. They can add new things just DONT TAKE ANYTHING OUT.”

Another stated: “If there’s any Disney remake that I think could really be unique and wildly exciting is that of #Hercules. I especially envision how great the opening scene could look with today’s CGI and cine work. I hope that Disney can prove me right."

Disney studios have released a number of live-action remakes in recent years, among them The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. Mulan's release date has been put back to July due to coronavirus.