Hercules (franchise)
Hercules is a Disney media franchise comprising a film series and additional merchandise, starting with the 1997 animated Disney feature of the same name, directed by Ron Clements and John Musker.
Disney's Hercules | |
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![]() Logo used since the 1997 film | |
Created by | |
Original work | Hercules in Greek mythology (Heracles) |
Films and television | |
Film(s) | Hercules (1997) |
Television series | Once Upon a Time (2011-18)* |
Animated series |
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Direct-to-video | |
Theatrical presentations | |
Musical(s) |
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Games | |
Video game(s) |
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Audio | |
Soundtrack(s) | Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack (1997) |
* Work where this franchise's characters or settings appeared as part of a crossover, or has characters based on those from this franchise. |
Films
Hercules
Hercules is a 1997 American animated musical comedy-fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 35th Disney animated feature film, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. The film is based on the legendary Greek mythology hero Heracles (known in the film by his Roman name, Hercules), the son of Zeus, in Greek mythology.
Hercules: Zero to Hero
Hercules: Zero to Hero is a 1999 direct-to-video followup to Disney's 1997 animated feature Hercules. It was released on August 31, 1999, and serves as the pilot to Hercules: The Animated Series. It packages four episodes of the television series to make a single narrative.
Live-action remake
On April 29, 2020, it was reported that a live-action remake of Hercules is being developed by Walt Disney Pictures, with Jeffery Silver and Karen Gilchrist, who previously produced the CGI remake of The Lion King, set to produce the film.[1] The film is expected to feature songs from the original film.[1] Joe and Anthony Russo will also serve as producers on the film, while David Callaham will write the script.[2]
Television
Disney's Hercules: The Animated Series
Disney's Hercules: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the 1997 film of the same name and the Greek myth. The series premiered in syndication on August 31, 1998, and on Disney's One Saturday Morning on September 12, 1998. The syndicated series ran 52 episodes, while the Saturday morning run ran 13.
"Hercules and the Arabian Night"
"Hercules and the Arabian Night" is a crossover episode of Disney's Hercules: The Animated Series featuring characters from Aladdin.
Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse is an animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television which originally aired from 2001 to 2003.
Once Upon a Time
Hades appeared in the latter half of Once Upon a Time's fifth season episode starting with "Souls of the Departed" portrayed by Greg Germann. In the episode "Labor of Love" Hercules and Megara were both portrayed by Jonathan Whitesell and Kacey Rohl.
Video game
Disney's Hercules: Action Game
Disney's Hercules: Action Game is a video game for the PlayStation and PC released on June 20, 1997 by Disney Interactive. It was made in one week before the animated movie released in the same year.
Disney's Animated Storybook: Hercules
Disney's Animated Storybook: Hercules is part of the Disney's Animated Storybook series.
Disney's Hercules Print Studio
Disney's Hercules Print Studio is part of the Disney's Print Studio series.
Hades Challenge
Hades Challenge is a PC video game released on April 17, 1998. It is a first–person adventure/puzzle game and a spinoff to Hercules in which the player assumes the role of a rookie hero undergoing various adventures based upon elements of Greek mythology not directly explored in the main film while being recurrently antagonized by Hades and Pain and Panic.
Kingdom Hearts
The characters of the film appear in the Kingdom Hearts video game series in the recurring in-game world of Olympus Coliseum. It is here that the player can find some mini-games and enemy gauntlet ladders known as cups. These cups are named after some of the film's main characters such as the Phil Cup, Pegasus Cup and the Hercules Cup. Completing these gauntlets gives the player experience points and prizes.
In the first Kingdom Hearts video game, Olympus Coliseum appears as a fighting mini-games world, including characters like Hercules, Philoctetes, Hades, Cerberus, Rock Titan, and Ice Titan. The world also appears in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
In Kingdom Hearts II, the most of the world is the Underworld, where most of history takes place, and includes new characters like Megara, Pain and Panic, Pegasus, and Hydra.
The world also returns in Kingdom Hearts coded, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the latter including a part of the city of Thebes. A wider version of the world appears in Kingdom Hearts III.
Cast and characters
Characters | Feature film | Television series | ||
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Hercules | Hercules | |||
Season 1 | Season 2 | |||
Hercules | Tate Donovan | Tate Donovan | ||
Joshua Keaton (teenager) | ||||
Roger Bart (singing voice) | ||||
Philoctetes "Phil" | Danny DeVito | Robert Costanzo | ||
Megara "Meg" | Susan Egan | |||
Hades | James Woods | |||
Pegasus | Frank Welker | |||
Pain | Bobcat Goldthwait | |||
Panic | Matt Frewer | |||
Zeus | Rip Torn | Corey Burton | ||
Hera | Samantha Eggar | |||
Hermes | Paul Schaffer | |||
Amphitryon | Hal Holbrook | |||
Alcmene | Barbara Barrie | |||
Bob | Charlton Heston | Robert Stack | ||
Icarus | French Stewart | |||
Cassandra | Sandra Bernhard | |||
Adonis | Diedrich Bader |
Stage musical
Hercules: The Muse-ical
Hercules: The Muse-ical (also known as Hercules: A Muse-ical Comedy) is a show on Disney Cruise Line's Disney Wonder ship. It is a "Vaudevillian salute" to the 1997 Disney film, and features some of its songs.[3] "It had its final performance in 2008 to make way for Toy Story: The Musical."[4]
Rotoscopers explains: "Not taking itself seriously for a moment, Hercules‘ sea voyage was practically half musical, half stand-up comedy. Hades, Pain, and Panic (the latter two both portrayed by women) especially packed a humorous punch, infusing relevant pop-culture references into the script. They often changed to keep up with current trends, much like Genie's jokes in Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular, a former show at Disney California Adventure."[4]
Hercules (musical)
On February 6, 2019, it was announced that a theatrical adaptation of the film would premiere at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park as part of its annual Shakespeare in the Park festival from August 31 until September 8. Menken and Zippel will return to compose and write the songs, while Kristoffer Diaz will write the book, Lear deBessonet will direct and Chase Brock will choreograph.[5] The cast will include Jelani Alladin (Hercules), Roger Bart (Hades), Jeff Hiller (Panic), James Monroe Iglehart (Phil), Ramona Keller (Thalia), Tamika Lawrence (Calliope), Krysta Rodriguez (Meg), and Rema Webb (Terpsichore).[6]
Music
Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the soundtrack for Hercules. It consists of music written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel, orchestrated by Danny Troob and Michael Starobin, with vocals performed by Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Roger Bart, Danny DeVito, and Susan Egan among others.
References
- Exclusive: Disney Developing Live-Action ’Hercules’ Film With Some Possible Big Name Directors in The Mix The DisInsider, April 29, 2020.
- 'Hercules' Live-Action Remake in the Works From Disney, 'Shang-Chi' Writer (Exclusive) The Hollywood Reporter, April 30, 2020.
- "Disney Cruise Line Hercules, the Muse-ical". Magicalkingdoms.com. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
- "Remembering Hercules the Muse-ical on the Disney Cruise Line". Rotoscopers.com. 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
- McPhee, Ryan (February 6, 2019). "Stage Adaptation of Disney's Hercules to Play the Public Theater's Delacorte". Playbill. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- BWW News Desk. "‘Hercules’ Stage Musical Adaptation Finds Its Strongman: Jelani Alladin Among Cast Announced For Shakespeare In The Park Production" Deadline Hollywood, June 20, 2019.