It seems inevitable that live-action remakes of animated Disney classics will continue to roll off the production line until they’ve exhausted their entire back catalogue, given the countless billions in box office dollars that they’ve brought in for the Mouse House so far. Eventually they’ll have to start unearthing some deep cuts and more obscure movies, but for now, there’s still a fair share of familiar titles that are ripe for the reboot treatment.
One that fans have been waiting for is 1997’s Hercules, which retains a strong following to this day. And given that 90s nostalgia is all the rage now and the updated version of fellow 90s favorites Aladdin and The Lion King both earned upwards of a billion dollars each, it surely won’t be too long until the project is officially announced.
We’ve already heard that a new and improved Hercules is in the early stages of development, and we’ve now received a casting update on the pic. According to our sources – the same ones who told us Disney is developing a Beauty and the Beast spinoff for Gaston and National Treasure 3 is in the works, both of which were correct – shortlists are already being drawn up behind closed doors at the studio and Idris Elba is one of the frontrunners for Hades.
Apparently, and as we reported last year, Benedict Cumberbatch is still Disney’s number one choice, but if there ends up being scheduling conflicts and he can’t do it, then they might offer it to Elba instead. Both actors would be solid choices, of course, and would no doubt approach the role very differently, so it would really depend on what the tone of the movie is going to be.
Cumberbatch would be ideal for a broader, scenery-chewing take on Hades, while Elba is better suited for a more serious approach. Either way, we could get our answer soon, as the Hercules remake begins to get moving behind the scenes.
