Way to go from zero to hero! Danny DeVito has just confirmed his interest in working on the upcoming live-action Hercules film in maybe the most Danny DeVito way possible. The actor, who voiced the wise-cracking satyr Philoctetes, Phil for short, in the 1997 Disney animated film revealed his interest in the upcoming project in a recent interview with Wired.
“If they don’t put me in that, they don’t have a hair on their ass,” DeVito said regarding the live-action Hercules. He added, “I am the live-action ‘Hercules’!” The crass, confident statement alone should prove to be ample reason to bring the actor back for the new project. The statement so clearly embodies the character of Phil, who took the ultra-strong Hercules from zero to hero in the 1997 film. And to be fair to DeVito, it is almost impossible to separate Phil, Hercules' trainer and sidekick, from DeVito — minus the goat legs and horns, of course.
DeVito's character is almost as iconic as the original film itself and is a foundational work for many of DeVito's Millennial fans, who would later follow the actor in projects such as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Currently, DeVito is working as a producer and voice actor on the FXX series Little Demon in which he plays Satan. The series is set to premiere on FXX on August 25, 2022. The series also stars Aubrey Plaza and his daughter Lucy DeVito. Guest stars on the very new series include Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mel Brooks.
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The new Hercules movie is being directed by Guy Ritchie, who also directed the live-action adaptation of Aladdin. Will Smith took over the role of the genie for the live-action film, in a role first made iconic by Robin Williams. There is no word yet on similarly big name casting for Hercules. News of the new live-action version originally broke in June. Previously it was reported that the live-action remake of Hercules would put a modern spin on the classic story of Hercules, the strong-man son of Zeus.
Anthony and Joe Russo will be producing the new film and Dave Callaham wrote the first draft of the script. We will have to wait and see if Danny DeVito will actually join the new project. You can catch DeVito's Little Demon on FXX on August 25, 2022, and check out the interview below: