Will Disney bring Hercules to Broadway?

[Merkin2]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 6:34am

They kinda have to bring it in, don’t they?

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 7:27am

No

[Theatrefan2]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 7:27am

Id be very surprised. At least in its current state.

I maintain there is a great show to be made from it, better than Aladdin. But, much as I enjoyed it in London, its still very much a wasted opportunity. 

Disney clearly dont care/have faith in it as an IP. Which is such a shame, and also false. The show sold out its previews before its first performance, and was selling well initially.  But I think the mixed word of mouth has killed it a bit. Its quite cheaply/lazily done, and low effort. Frustrating ad it could be so good

 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 8:38am

Merkin2 said: "They kinda have to bring it in, don’t they?"

Why?

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 9:00am

Disney has basically become a parody of themselves. Aladdin was a major mess of a show. What made the movie enjoyable was destroyed on stage ( of course no one was ever going to be Robin Williams ) but it came across as a school pantomime. 
From what I hear and read from those that have seen it, sadly Hercules is the same. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 9:52am

I mean same director, no? Maybe stop using him… 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 10:01am

rosscoe(au) said: "Disney has basically become a parody of themselves. Aladdin was a major mess of a show. What made the movie enjoyable was destroyed on stage ( of course no one was ever going to be Robin Williams ) but it came across as a school pantomime.
From what I hear and read from those that have seen it, sadly Hercules is the same."

Hot take, but I saw the Toronto tryout of Aladdin, where his three friends (Babkak, Omar, and Kassim) were narrators, and would come out and sing a few verses of Arabian Nights between scenes, and I like it. It was different, and I think they should have worked longer with the idea instead of scrapping it, because when I saw the show about 10 years later, I felt like I was watching a Christmas panto. All the acting was so broad and playing every line like it was a joke. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 1:38pm

Let’s hope not. They’d either have to heavily retool it (which I think is, safe to say, probably not happening) or just put it out for licensing the way they did with Hunchback. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 1:50pm

RippedMan said: "I mean same director, no? Maybe stop using him…"

I mean, they work with him for the same reason they work with directors they do on their films. They're Yes Men and don't give push back. A musical (just like the movies) made by studio committee, not a director and creative team. Just get it to the finish line. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 1:51pm

Casey Nicholaw is like sliced bread; he was incredible when he first started directing. He’s been left in the cabinet for far too long; He’s stale, moldy, and forgotten. All things the mouse craves and is eating him up. 

If I had to guess, Hercules’ next stop is an Australian tour and possibly a US/North American Tour after that. I don’t think Broadway is in the cards. It’s pretty clear The Greatest Showman will be Disney’s next Broadway venture.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 1:55pm

I miss the days when Disney worked with directors like Julie Taymor and Francesca Zambello. Even Grandage’s directing portfolio is far more exciting than Nicholaw’s. 
 

It’s interesting that they’ve decided to license out The Princess Bride instead of producing it in house.

Updated On: 2/20/26 at 01:55 PM

[Jg2019]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 1:56pm

The set, costumes, and book are not great. it’s serviceable but i don’t think they should bring it until it’s ready. Like aladdin, it’s watered down with eliminating the animal characters, and cutting Pain and Panic. the characters bob and charles are the most unfathomable changes disney has made.

I liked Frozen, they need to work on creating disney magic. Aladdin looks incredibly cheap. 

[Merkin2]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 2:08pm

Frozen is genuinely one of the worst musicals I’ve ever seen.  I hated Aladdin and think I’d rank Frozen even lower.  Julie Taymor said she was only going to do The Lion King if it was pure theater and they need to go back to that.  I would think someone like Alex Timbers would be a pretty good director for a Disney show given how he excels at spectacle.  Maybe they can do another out of town of Hercules with another director 

[carlisle14]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 3:06pm

It was listed in the Broadway Across America survey on tours patrons might like to see in 2027-2028 season. 

[Jg2019]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 4:33pm

Merkin2 said: "Frozen is genuinely one of the worst musicals I’ve ever seen. I hated Aladdin and think I’d rank Frozen even lower. Julie Taymor said she was only going to do The Lion King if it was pure theater and they need to goback to that. I would think someone like Alex Timbers would be a pretty good director for a Disney show given how he excels at spectacle. Maybe they can do another out of town of Hercules with another director"

 

Yes I agree. even with the original BATB, it looks more period than animated and they should resume that style. 

 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 4:47pm

Merkin2 said: "Frozen is genuinely one of the worst musicals I’ve ever seen. I hated Aladdin and think I’d rank Frozen even lower. Julie Taymor said she was only going to do The Lion King if it was pure theater and they need to goback to that. I would think someone like Alex Timbers would be a pretty good director for a Disney show given how he excels at spectacle. Maybe they can do another out of town of Hercules with another director"

He already worked with them on Frozen and he left the project. They emphatically don't want someone with ideas. Lol

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 4:50pm

Merkin2 said: "Julie Taymor said she was only going to do The Lion King if it was pure theater and they need to go back to that."

Seeing how Disney tried to replicate that success with Tarzan and The Little Mermaid, but failed miserably, it's understandable why they haven't been pursuing high brow theatre directors as of late.

Updated On: 2/20/26 at 04:50 PM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 4:55pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "Merkin2 said: "Julie Taymor said she was only going to do The Lion King if it was pure theater and they need to go back to that."

Seeing how they tried to replicate that success with Tarzan and The Little Mermaid, but failed miserably, it's understandable why they haven't been pursuing high brow theatre directors as of late."

But like... you don't have to reinvent the wheel here if they don't want to. BatB is very traditionally staged, they just spent the money and put the Disney magic on stage. Concerns are now more "We have to make this tourable not just for major markets, but small as well." And that ethos permeates the entire affair...

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 5:03pm

Timbers and Disney have seem to have mended some bridges between The Muppets special he did and he’s working on The Princess Bride stage adaptation. As previously mentioned Disney is no longer leading the charge on TPB and has given Jeffrey Seller the producing reins.

Updated On: 2/20/26 at 05:03 PM

[Theatrefan2]

Posted: 2/20/26 at 5:07pm

fashionguru_23 said: "rosscoe(au) said: "Disney has basically become a parody of themselves. Aladdin was a major mess of a show. What made the movie enjoyable was destroyed on stage ( of course no one was ever going to be Robin Williams ) but it came across as a school pantomime.
From what I hear and read from those that have seen it, sadly Hercules is the same."

Hot take, but I saw the Toronto tryout of Aladdin, where his three friends (Babkak, Omar, and Kassim) were narrators, and would come out and sing a few verses of Arabian Nights between scenes, and I like it. It was different, and I think they should have worked longer with the idea instead of scrapping it, because when I saw the show about 10 years later, I felt like I was watching a Christmas panto. All the acting was so broad and playing every line like it was a joke."

 

This is the problem when it comes to Disney and their approach to adapting their comedy movies. They think they have to go the panto route, and it really ruins and cheapens the material.

They also have ruined two of the best Disney villains to, again, panto 2d villains.

Im no fan of the movie, but Frozen was brilliant by comparison. Money and effort had gone into the physical production and adapting the material.

Overall Disney feels a long way from the relative masterpieces of the original Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. Even the new Beauty and the Beast is a watered down cheapened production