While we’ve known for awhile that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was set to star as the Greek hero in the HERCULES movie from Brett Ratner, there hasn’t been any other casting news until now. The Hollywood Reporter has news that Aksel Hennie (from the Norwegian thriller HEADHUNTERS) has singed on to play Tydeus, “a warrior devoted to Hercules who wields twin axes and is such a madman that he needs to be chained up at night when he sleeps.”
I’ve heard nothing but good things about HEADHUNTERS (still need to see it) and I’m sure Hennie is a fantastic edition. But maybe I’d be more enthusiastic for this project if Brett Ratner wasn’t directing. I just feel like he doesn’t have a unique enough visual style to set this film apart from other swords and sandals films. I don’t need every movie to be over stylized like 300 but I just think Brett Ratner isn’t the most original director.
Based on the comics “The Thracian Wars” and “The Knives of Kush”, this retelling of Hercules has him as a mortal being and leader of a group of mercenaries. The official synopsis for “The Thracian Wars” is as follows:
Fourteen-hundred years ago, a tormented soul walked the Earth that was neither man nor god. Hercules, powerful son of the god king Zeus, received nothing but suffering his entire life. After twelve arduous labors and the loss of his family, this dark, world-weary soul turned his back on the gods, finding his only solace in bloody battle. Over the years he warmed to the company of six similar souls, their only bond being their love of fighting and the presence of death. These men and woman never question where, why, or whom they go to fight; only how much they will be paid. Knowing this, the King of Thrace has hired these mercenaries to train his men to become the greatest army of all time. Hercules begins to question King Cotys’ motives when he takes his army out to battle and sees them practice on innocent men, women, and children of their neighbors. Deep in his soul something stirs, but is it enough to stop a mad king and his army of the damned from marching across Greece – or even Olympus itself?!
HERCULES is scheduled to be released on August 8th, 2014.