Hercules (1997)
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing John Musker, Ron Clements's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- The original script for Hercules was written over a decade before production finally began in 1997.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
Hercules is a 1997 American animated musical fantasy produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. The film reimagines the Greek myth of Heracles as a coming-of-age story about a young man who is the son of Zeus and Hera, stolen at birth by the minions of Hades β the fast-talking, blue-flamed Lord of the Dead voiced by James Woods β and raised as a mortal on Earth. Discovering his divine origins as a teenager, Hercules must prove himself a "true hero" to rejoin the gods on Mount Olympus, training under the satyr Phil voiced by Danny DeVito and falling for the cynical, Hades-employed femme fatale Megara voiced by Susan Egan.
James Woods's Hades was the film's most celebrated creation β a Hollywood-agent-style villain who spoke in rapid-fire contemporary slang and conducted the business of evil with the frazzled energy of a talent manager working too many clients. The gospel-music-inspired Muses, who narrated the story through Alan Menken and David Zippel's songs, gave the film a uniquely American musical identity. Hercules earned $252 million worldwide on a $85 million budget.
