![]() “Once we saw what he did, we were really stimulated by that,” said co-director Musker in 1997, “and we kept encouraging him to do more. Scarfe was brought to the Disney studio and created early conceptual artwork and character design that heavily influenced the look of Hercules, giving the film its bold graphic appearance. Co-director Musker is a big fan of artist Gerald Scarfe, a cartoonist, and illustrator most famous for the disturbing artwork created for Pink Floyd: The Wall, the 1979 album, and the 1982 movie, and wanted to merge Scarfe’s sensibilities with that of the Disney style. The movie did all this, not just with its distinct tone but its look. Everything from Nike, American Express, and the Disney company’s own successful retail organization, The Disney Store, is parodied.Īdditionally, Hercules made very sharp, comedic comments on marketing, promotion, and celebrity status. He seeks help from the satyr Philoctetes (Phil), a hero trainer, and meets Meg, a tough, resourceful woman unlike any he has ever met before (who is also working for Hades).Īs he eventually squares off against Hades to save both Earth and Mount Olympus, Hercules becomes a celebrity, thanks to his God-like strength.Īlthough based on Greek mythology, the film reflected many modern-day sensibilities. He learns of his origins and that the only way he can return to his father, Zeus and Mount Olympus is to prove himself a true hero on Earth. The two dimwits fail to give Hercules all the potion, which leaves the babe on Earth human, with God-like strength, and raised by a mortal couple. ![]() He concocts a plan and dispatches his sidekicks, Pain, and Panic, to Mount Olympus to kidnap Hercules, administer a potent “Grecian formula,” which would render him mortal, and then dispose of the baby on Earth. ![]() ![]() The villain learns that, in eighteen years, he can take over Zeus’ territory, but his one obstacle will be Hercules. He is secretly planning a “hostile takeover” of Mount Olympus. The Lord of the Underworld, Hades, arrives at the welcome party for Hercules. There’s a comedic element that runs through the film, even in some of its most serious moments.”ĭisney’s Hercules would begin on Mount Olympus, with the Gods Zeus and Hera welcoming their son, Hercules. But, throughout the movie, we’re pulling together the ‘bigness’ with ‘light-heartedness,’ and it’s an interesting combination. “It is definitely an epic,” said co-director Ron Clements of Hercules in 1997. The directors were both intrigued by the possibilities of Greek mythology, and giving it a different spin. Musker and Clements came across the idea for Hercules as a feature in 1993 when they reviewed several projects in the early days of development, and saw artwork from animator Joe Haidar, who had initially pitched the idea. “We call it an epic comedy,” said producer Alice Dewey in 1997. They brought their irreverent touch from Aladdin to this film and even kicked it up a notch. “ Hercules is a cartoon, a big cartoon!” This is how master animator Eric Goldberg described Disney’s take on the Greek God in a 1997 interview.Īnd that is, indeed, the sensibility behind the studio’s 35th animated feature, from co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker.
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