A new report has surfaced claiming that The Walt Disney Company is eyeing someone different than the long-rumored Ariana Grande for the coveted role of Meg in the upcoming live-action Hercules.
The Disney live-action canon is still going despite a mediocre box office performance. This year, Disney fans will return to the world of the Pridelands in The Lion King prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), from director Barry Jenkins.
Jenkins takes over from Jon Favreau, who brought the 1994 animated classic to life in a new way in 2019’s The Lion King remake. Favreau’s movie took just over $1.9 billion at the box office and became part of Disney’s most lucrative filmmaking year ever. 2019 also saw the release of billion-dollar hits like Captain Marvel, Aladdin, and Avengers: Endgame.
The duo behind Avengers: Endgame, Anthony and Joe Russo–more commonly known as the Russo Brothers–will hopefully work their magic in the live-action adaptation arena as the producers of the upcoming Hercules (TBD) through their AGBO production banner.
Based on the 1997 classic of the same name, the live-action Hercules was first announced back in 2020. Since then, little has happened in the way of development. Guy Ritchie, the director behind Disney’s Aladdin remake, was tapped to direct in 2022, with Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) on to write the screenplay.
In 2020, the Russos said that the adaptation would not be a direct translation of the animated movie, instead taking the essence and themes and presenting it in a different way.
Later, in 2022, the producers said that it would be a modern retelling and a musical inspired by TikTok. “[It will be] a little bit more experimental in tone, a little bit more experimental in execution,” Joe Russo told Variety.
A modern take on an adaptation is unusual for Disney, which has, in the past, only done direct live-action remakes–albeit with some creative license–and retellings from another point of view, such as 2013’s Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie.
However, with nothing currently in production and Bob Iger’s House of Mouse cutting and course-correcting across the board, there is still a chance fans will never see the return of the iconic Greek god.
But that doesn’t stop the chatter.
It has been long-rumored that Disney wants a person of color to play the titular Hercules, with Black Panther and Creed franchise star Michael B. Jordan being a consistently floated name.
As for love interest Meg, many have often wondered if former Disney Channel star and Grammy Award-winning artist Ariana Grande would take on the role made famous by Susan Egan in the late 1990s.
Grande certainly has the star power, and her turn as Glinda the Good Witch in Jon Chu’s upcoming Wicked double bill proves she has the chops to co-lead a beloved franchise.
However, another name is apparently being looked at by Disney.
The Disinsider reports that Disney likes Dua Lipa for the role. Of course, this is unsupported information–as the reporter notes–and should be taken with a grain of salt, but Dua Lipa as Meg is curious nonetheless.
Related: Disney TikTok Uncovers Meg’s Disturbing Past In ‘Hercules’
The “Levitating” singer recently had small and supporting roles in last year’s billion-dollar surprise Barbie (2023) and this year’s Argylle (2024) but has not headlined a feature in her acting career just yet.
Dua Lipa could be the perfect choice, though. As a relative unknown to the blockbuster space, a role like Meg (or Megara) could be the ticket to a bigger presence in Hollywood. And Disney is not afraid to give huge roles to actors with fewer credits.
Last year, Rob Marshall’s The Little Mermaid (2023) live-action remake was headed up by singer Halle Bailey, and next year, Rachel Zegler, whose star has risen in the last year thanks to her performances in Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) will lead the Mouse’s Disney’s Snow White (2025).
Hercules is one of Disney’s most beloved classics thanks to its memorable characters and stellar musical score, which features songs like “Go the Distance,” “Zero To Hero,” and “I Won’t Say (I’m In Love).”
Related: Disney Buries Live-Action ‘Snow White’ With New Princess
The 1997 classic starred Tate Donovan/Josh Keaton/Roger Bart as Hercules, Susan Egan as Megara, Danny DeVito as Philocretes/Phil, and James Woods as Hades.
Who would you like to see in the cast of the live-action Hercules remake? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
