Film production may be on pause for the time being, what with lockdowns and all (who’da thought?), but that hasn’t stopped studios from preparing for future releases and it hasn’t stopped us looking at where they’ll go next. One of those future releases is set to be a live-action remake of classic animation Hercules.
Nothing’s been confirmed by Disney just yet, but casting speculation is already rife. Last week, we heard that the studio were eyeing up Ryan Gosling for the title role, and today brings another slice of gossip, this time from Giant Freakin Robot. Straight out of left field, they say that the Mouse House are looking at casting pop star Ariana Grande in the role of Megara, Hercules’ love interest and the film’s primary heroine.
There’s some precedent when it comes to Disney casting a pop star in a live-action remake, of course. For their most recent endeavor, last year’s enormously successful Lion King redux, the character Nala was voiced by Beyonce. That being said, casting Grande in a leading role for a real live-action movie, as opposed to the animated simulacrum served up in The Lion King, would be a big call.
Glancing at her credits, she has very little big screen acting experience (Beyonce, meanwhile, did have some film credits to her name, including a previous voice part). If Grande does get cast, one hopes it’s on her acting ability and not on her celebrity credentials.
Got any thoughts on this potential Hercules casting news? Could you see Grande flourishing in the role, or does it sound like a terrible idea? I’m not putting thoughts in your head. If you have any of your own, drop a comment in the usual place down below and watch this space for more.
