Hollywood sure likes Greek mythology at the moment. While Millenium/Nu Image’s planned films about Hercules has apparently been in the works for two years, it’s difficult not to feel there’s nevertheless a bit of band-wagon jumping going on following the success of Clash Of The Titans (which itself was slightly taking its lead from 300).
Now they’re looking for a director for the film, and it seems they’ve decided they want Brett Ratner. Although his name inevitably elicits groans from fanboys, due to the join-the-dots, wham-bam nature of many of his film, he still gets work due to the fact there aren’t that many directors with experience making big popcorn movies, and also because his films make cash. However much many may hate the fact, he did direct the highest grossing of all the X-Men movies. He also has history with Millenium/Nu Image, as at one point he was attached to make their Conan rebot, which Marcus Nispel took over.
Hercules himself has been the subject of numerous movies, from Schwarzenegger’s Hercules In New York to Disney 1997 animated effort, but his film career has largely been relegated to B-movies (the Italians were slightly obsessed with him in the 60s, producing a whole slew of cheap and cheesy Hercules movies over the decade), with relatively few big budget movies based around the character. He would certainly seem ripe for the picking if this film does move forward, whether Ratner is directing or not.
There’s no news on exactly what angle Millenium/Nu Image is taking with the film, although following Clash Of The Titans, expect lots of CG monsters and men in leather skirts.