Another Hercules Movie? Why Brett Ratner's Take Will Be Different (For the Better!)

We’ve all heard of the Greek demigod Hercules. And at some point in our lives, we’ve all sat through some film or TV show about him. This July 25, however, the game will be changed.

Director Brett Ratner is not taking the usual route by souping up the idea of Hercules with tons of his own mythology. Instead, his upcoming Hercules stays true to the original folklore, with the confidence that viewers will enjoy every bit of it.

One of the first things we must give kudos to this adaptation for is the casting of Dwayne Johnson as the titular hero. But isn’t just all for looks. No, "The Rock" just happens to be a very capable actor, and you better believe that he trained hard for this role. Eight months of extreme workout plans helped mold him into the perfect Hercules. Don’t get me wrong -- of course the other hundred-and-something actors who have portrayed Hercules over the years probably did a lot of training too, but Johnson can back-up his physical prowess with his acting chops, and we're sure he will blow the audience away. 

Even though Hercules is based on a myth, every good action film needs a degree of reality and believability, and I think Ratner and Johnson will deliver just that. In a Q&A, Ratner spoke about how he tried to build a more tangible world by using practical sets instead of having his actors in front of a green screen and relegating most of the filmmaking in post-production, as so many fantasy films do these days. This will go a long way in not only helping the actors give more authentic performances but also allow the audience feel like they're watching real events as opposed to a video game. After all, we have to be able to relate to the hero to sympathize with him, right?

Don’t just take my word for it, though. Check out the trailer below!

(Screenshot via YouTube)

- Biana Stitch, YH Staff