Following persistent rumors, we got word that Disney was officially moving forward with a live-action remake of Hercules back in 2022, with Aladdin director Guy Ritchie set to helm the project and Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo on board as producers.
Updates have been few and far between since then, and we're still waiting to find out which actors are going to bring life to the main characters.
Previous rumors have claimed that Taron Edgerton and Ariana Grande were up for the roles of Hercules and Meg, and while there's every chance they will end up being cast, we may be able to add another name to the mix for the movie's female lead.
According to reliable Disney source the DisInsider, pop megastar turned actress Dua Lipa might be a contender to play Meg. He doesn't say whether she's actually in talks, only that the studio "likes" her for the part.
Lipa doesn't have much acting experience, having made a brief cameo in Barbie and played a minor supporting role in Argylle, but she is said to be poised to make a big splash in Hollywood.
In the original animated film, Megara starts out as a reluctant ally of the evil Hades, but later betrays the villain and genuinely falls for Hercules.
In a 2022 interview, the Russos explained how they became involved with the project, and noted that they had no intention of doing a "literal translation" of the original.
"Both us and our kids are Hercules fanatics," said Anthony. "And we had heard that Disney was interested in revisiting it and we’re in love with the original. And we made a case as to why we felt we would be right to produce that film and here we are."
"I think you always have to bring something new to the table because from our perspective as storytellers, it’s not compelling for us to do a literal translation. We’ve already done that with our Marvel films," added Joe. "We don’t do literal translations of the comics because we feel like if you want that story you can go read that story. We’re going to give you a different story. I think we’ll do something that’s in the vein of the original and inspired by it, but we also bring some new elements to the table."
A report did the rounds earlier this year that Ritchie had parted ways with the movie, but that's yet to be confirmed.
Disney tackles Greek mythology in this animated feature. Hercules (Tate Donovan), a son of gods, was snatched as a baby by Hades (James Woods) and forced to live among mortals as a half-man, half-god. Now a teenager, Hercules needs to perform a rite of passage on Earth to prove himself worthy of living with the gods on Mount Olympus. With his plucky satyr sidekick, Philoctetes (Danny DeVito), along for the ride, Hercules must learn how to use his strength to defeat a series of evil creatures.