Summary
Disney’s upcoming live-actionHerculesmovie will likely set out to honor the original while making key changes to keep it fresh, but judging by the previous live-action remakes from the studio, I’m very worried that my favorite part from the 1997 project will also be unnecessarily updated. While it doesn’t stop me from being excited aboutDisney’s live-actionHerculesmovie, it’s tough not to be apprehensive about a tweak to the formula that’s already happened in similar adaptations.
WithHercules 2canceled in 2006, the live-action version of the original is the only new onscreen Disney effort featuring their iteration of the character I can realistically expect. It’s a shame, becauseI think the animatedHerculesmovie is incredibly underrated, but I’m at least thankful the project is being revisited at all. However, there’s a chance I’ll walk away from the remake more disappointed than entertained.
10 Best Hercules Movies, Ranked
Filmmakers have brought the legendary Hercules to life in a variety of movies, turning the Greek hero into a star of some amazing films.
Disney Needs To Leave Hercules' Original Soundtrack Unchanged In The Live-Action Movie
1997’s Hercules soundtrack is short but perfect
In a list of thebest animated Disney soundtracks,Herculesis often ranked unfairly low or forgotten completely. While “Go the Distance” is the standout song in the movie, others like “Zero to Hero” and “A Star is Born” get me incredibly riled up throughout. What makes me worried is that previous live-action Disney remakes, like 2017’sBeauty and the Beast, tend to include new songs that don’t feature on the original soundtrack, which I don’t think ever works.Herculesisn’t especially packed with songs, but they are perfectly placed to augment the story.
If there’s a movie where Disney steps away from this emerging trend, I have my fingers crossed that it’s forHercules.
If there’s a movie where Disney steps away from this emerging trend, I have my fingers crossed that it’s forHercules. However, the fact that the producers have added new songs to the soundtracks of the remakes of their enormous movies, likeBeauty and the Beastand 2019’sAladdin,makes me think thatHerculeswill also get the same treatment. If so, I’ll be devastated that what I consider to be the perfect soundtrack from the 1997 version will have been unnecessarily updated.
Why I Think New Songs Never Work In Disney’s Live-Action Adaptations
Making additions to a decades-old soundtrack will always create problems with consistency
I knowlive-action Disney remakesare intended to welcome in new fans, but surely a large portion of the audience is there for a trip down memory lane. Nostalgia can do wonders for a movie’s box office revenue, and music has a way of instilling that emotion very effectively. The truth of the matter is thatthe original Disney movies that are being reworked are often decades old, and the songwriting styles are very of the era - whether intentional or otherwise. That doesn’t make them worse, it just gives them a specific sound that’s difficult to recapture.
The truth of the matter is thatthe original Disney movies that are being reworked are often decades old, and the songwriting styles are very of the era - whether intentional or otherwise.
So, when a new song is introduced, there’s either an effort to make the addition match the style and vibe of the others, or the writers realize that’s a fruitless task and just go their own way with the new track. Either way, the rapidly changing nature of songwriting styles through the ages results in the new song sticking out among its fellow compositions on the updated soundtrack. For me, it breaks the flow of the movie and makes it less immersive. It’s not that I think the songs are bad, it’s just immediately clear they don’t belong.
1 Comment From The Russo Brothers Makes Me Nervous About Hercules' New Soundtrack
The Russo’s TikTok inspiration calls for more musical material than currently exists
The Russo brothers are producing theHerculesremake, and Joe Russo has already commented on how the musical elements will be approached differently when compared with the original. Speaking withVariety,Russo mentioned his views about what modern audiences expectfrom a musical as a result of exposure to social media platforms such as TikTok. He explains that the movie will bend its formula to accommodate these perceived tastes, which suggests to me that writing additional songs for the live-action adaptation is inevitable.
“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 Russo.
Overall,there actually aren’t that many honest-to-goodness songs on theHerculessoundtrack, and some classify more as brief musical moments that clock in at around a minute long. So, if the Russos are indeed planning to double down onHercules' musical elements, then padding out the soundtrack unfortunately feels unavoidable. While this doesn’t fill me with joy, I do find the thought of several shorter, TikTok-esque musical moments throughout the movie somehow more palatable than having to sit through an entirely new song to which I have no connection. However, maybe that’s the point behind the Russos’Herculessoundtrack plans.
Hercules
Cast
Hercules follows the journey of the titular character, the son of Zeus, as he embarks on a quest to prove himself a true hero after being turned mortal by Hades. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the film is a blend of mythology and animation.
