![]() ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection Air-Hercīack in the era of “Hercules,” merchandising was a key point in the studios’ battle for attention. Her comments now read as an eerie premonition for the current entertainment landscape of which Disney and its “content” factories has become the biggest driver. “I don’t know when it swapped over, but live-action has become the cartoon and we’ve become the art film.” “You can do ‘Batman’ and all these event movies and get away with anything,” Dewey said. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times at the time, “Hercules” producer Alice Dewey noted how live-action superheroes were overpowering animated narratives. That an original animated effort had to battle it out with sequels to popular mega-properties pointed to where the industry was heading - and what has become a fact of life in 21st century Hollywood. opened “Batman & Robin” and Universal debuted “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” both titles that appealed to similar, only slightly older demographics. ![]() In the weeks before its wide release on June 17, 1997, Warner Bros. Instead of rebounding from “Hunchback” ($100.1 million), “Hercules” grossed even less. It was the second-lowest-grossing WDAS’s film of the ’90s, only faring better than 1990’s “The Rescuers Down Under,” a sequel to the “The Rescuers” from 1977. “Hercules” amassed a total of $99.1 million domestically during a summer plagued with franchises. ![]() So, what happened? The simple answer: Not enough people cared. Fortunately, they had directors Ron Clements and John Musker, who became certified hitmakers with “The Little Mermaid” (1989) and “Aladdin” (1992), to push “Hercules” into bold tonal and stylistic directions. Twenty-five years later, this wacky take on heroism and the cult of celebrity by way of remolded mythology seldom comes up as a cornerstone when people look back at the ’90s renaissance period that saved Disney’s animation division. That’s a mistake.ĭisney needed another bonafide hit. As the follow up to the underperforming “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which underperformed (which likely suffered from its mature undertones), “Hercules” had a world of pressure on its rippling shoulders. Victoria Alonso's Marvel Firing Tied to Conflict with 'Argentina, 1985'įrom Netflix to Disney: How Much the Top 7 Streamers Will Spend on Content in 2023Ģ023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesĢ023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesĮven for Disney’s summer tentpoles, such bombastic marketing displays were hardly standard practice on the contrary, what the Mouse House was doing for “Hercules” was a deliberate - even desperate - extra push for a film that needed to surpass its predecessor. It was a promotional act worthy of the gods, broadcast live across the country for anyone who wanted to get a glimpse at the latest addition to the Disney pantheon: A wisecracking family tale about a certain Greek demigod (voiced by Tate Donovan) finding his way back home to Mt. Transported from Disneyland in California to New York City for the occasion, this procession of floats - illuminated by thousands of lights - debuted two new vessels in honor of the film that everyone had gathered to celebrate.
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