Guy Ritchie has been maintaining a consistent success rate with his films ever since his debut with Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. However, his recent ventures like The Covenant and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare have not fared well at the box office. The situation seems to be similar for the Russo brothers post their hit Marvel run.
Their non-Marvel projects like Cherry and The Gray Man have not resonated with audiences. The Russos and Ritchie are returning to Disney for the live-action adaptation of Hercules. With Ritchie’s previous success with the company and the contributions from the Russos, the film can break the terrible trend that has plagued the recent Disney live-action remakes.
Guy Ritchie’s Hercules Film Can End the Terrible Streak of Disney Live-Action Remakes
It was announced some years ago that the Russo Brothers and Guy Ritchie would be collaborating on a live-action remake of Hercules for Disney. Many things have happened since the announcement including the strikes and it seems to have affected the pre-production process of the film. In a new interview with Gamesradar+, the director duo provided an update on the film’s progress.
They revealed that they are still “waiting on a script” that will do justice to the source material. It seems the makers are taking their time in developing the project and it’s a sign that they care about doing a great job adapting it in live-action. Recent Disney live-action remakes like The Little Mermaid, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and Wendy and Mulan have not fared well with audiences (via ScreenRant).
Ritchie has already delivered a big hit with his Aladdin live-action film in 2019 which went on to gross $1.05 billion at the box office (via Box Office Mojo). Joe Russo has told Radiotimes about how he and Ritchie are both excited for the project.
While there were recent rumors that Ritchie left the project, there has been no official word about that. Fans hope that the Hercules film will change the course for Disney and its live-action remakes.
Extraction 3 Gets A Positive Update From the Russo Brothers
After the success of Extraction 2, Chris Hemsworth is set to return as Tyler Rake in Extraction 3. The second film elevated the action and scale from the first film, with new elements like Idris Elba’s character being added to the story. Extraction 3 is expected to be bigger and better, with Joe Russo recently giving a promising update on the upcoming threequel.
Russo revealed that they are currently figuring out Hemsworth’s schedules and Sam Hargrave will return to direct the third film. He further stated that the tragic and wounded nature of Tyler Rake provides more opportunities to tell compelling stories around him, and this makes the franchise interesting. Russo said,
“Yeah, we’re developing it at the moment, figuring out Chris’s schedule. Sam Hargrave is back directing. It’s an interesting franchise because he’s a very emotionally wounded character, so there’s good storytelling there I think in respect to his backstory, and, you know, his relationship to violence is one that’s built around self-loathing and guilt. And so, it adds a lot of texture I think, which allows us to tell more stories about him.”
Russo also stated that the sequel to 2022’s The Gray Man is happening and his team at AGBO are currently charting out the story. After their exit from Marvel, the Russo brothers are busy developing films under their production banner.
They are returning as directors for the upcoming sci-fi adventured film The Electric State starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt. The film will be released sometime in 2024.
Watch Extraction 1 and 2 on Netflix.
