Hercules
- Studio
- Walt Disney Studios
- Animation studio
- Walt Disney Feature Animation
- Distributor
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Synopsis
A Disney update of classic mythology. Hercules, the son of the Greek Gods Zeus and Hera, is abducted from his Mount Olympus home and taken to Earth by Pain and Panic- the sidekicks of Hades, the God of the Underworld. The fiery figure sees Zeus's son and an obstacle to his plans to take over Olympus. Pain and Panic bungle their mission by not administering the whole bottle of poison, which leaves the infant with god-like strength but human mortality.
As Hercules grows up, he discovers the truth of his origins, and sets out to prove himself a true hero (with the help of veteran hero-trainer Philoctetes) so he can return to his home on Olympus. Hades tries to kill him with a variety of calamities including a multi-headed Hydra, a Minotaur, a Cyclops and an army to Titans. Along the way, Herc meets and falls in love with Megara, not knowing she is another of Hades pawns. Only after saving her from the Underworld does Hercules discover what it really is to be a hero.
As Hercules grows up, he discovers the truth of his origins, and sets out to prove himself a true hero (with the help of veteran hero-trainer Philoctetes) so he can return to his home on Olympus. Hades tries to kill him with a variety of calamities including a multi-headed Hydra, a Minotaur, a Cyclops and an army to Titans. Along the way, Herc meets and falls in love with Megara, not knowing she is another of Hades pawns. Only after saving her from the Underworld does Hercules discover what it really is to be a hero.
Characters
Hercules, Philoctetes, Pegasus, Hades, Megara, Pain, Panic, Zeus, Hera, Alcmene, Amphitryon, Hermes, The Fates, Cyclops, Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Thalia
Credits
Directing
- Director
- John Musker, Ron Clements
Producing
- Producer
- Ron Clements, Alice Dewey, John Musker
- Executive Producer
- Howard Ashman
- Associate Producer
- Kendra Haaland
Writing
- Writer
- John Musker, Ron Clements, Don McEnery, Irene Mecchi, Bob Shaw
- Story
- Barry Johnson
Animation
- Animator
- Sahin Ersoz, Colbert Fennelly, David Kuhn, Mike Kunkel
- Animator, Hades
- James Baker
- Animator, Baby, Young Hercules
- Robb Pratt
- Animator, Muses
- T. Daniel Hofstedt
- Supervising Animators
- Richard Bazley, Randy Haycock (Baby, Young Hercules), Andreas Deja (Hercules), Ken Duncan (Megara), Eric Goldberg (Phil), Ellen Woodbury (Pegasus), Nik Ranieri (Hades), Brian Ferguson (Pain), James Lopez (Panic), Oskar Urretabizkaia (Hydra), Mike Show (Muses), Nancy Beiman (Fates), Chris Bailey (Nessus)
- Character Animator
- Mark Pudleiner (Megara)
- Effects Animator
- Kevin M. O'Neil
Voices
- Voice
- Tate Donovan (Hercules), Joshua Keaton (Young Hercules), Roger Bart (Young Hercules, singing), Danny DeVito (Philoctetes), James Woods (Hades), Susan Egan (Megara), Bobcat Goldthwait (Pain), Matt Frewer (Panic), Rip Torn (Zeus), Samantha Eggar (Hera), Barbara Barrie (Alcmene), Hal Holbrook (Amphitryon), Paul Shaffer (Hermes), Amanda Plummer (The Fates), Carole Shelley (The Fates), Paddi Edwards (The Fates), Patrick Pinney (Cyclops), Lillias White (Calliope), Vanñese Y. Thomas (Clio), Cheryl Freeman (Melpomene), La Chanze (Terpsichore), Roz Ryan (Thalia), Corey Burton (Titans, Burnt Man, End-of-the World Man, Tour Bus Guide), Jim Cummings (Nessus, Pot Maker, Tall Thebian, Elderly Thebian), Keith David (Apollo), Mary Kay Bergman (Earthquake Lady, Wood Nypmh, Water Nymph, Earth Nymph, Teenage Girls), Kathleen Freeman (Heavyset Woman), Bug Hall (Little Boy), Kellen Hathaway (Little Boy), Wayne Knight (Demetrius), Aaron Michael Metchik (Ithicles), Charlton Heston (Narrator), Tawatha Agee, Jack Angel, Shelton Becton, Bob Bergen, Rodger Bumpass, Jennifer Darling, Debi Derryberry, Bill Farmer, Milt Grayson, Sherry Lynn, Mickie McGowan, Denise Pickering, Phil Proctor, Jan Rabson, Riley Steiner, Fronzi Thornton, Erik von Detten, Ken Williams
Music
- Music
- Alan Menken
- Lyrics
- David Zippel
Editing
- Editor
- Tom Finan, Robert W. Hedland
- Animation Editor
- James Melton
- Assistant Editors
- Julie Rogers, John K. Carr, Jeff Jones
Crew
- Casting
- Ruth Lambert
- Casting Assistants
- Stephen Blackehart, James Curreri, Tamlyn Freund, Meredith Layne
- Production Design
- Gerald Scarfe
- Art Director
- Andy Gaskill
- Assistant Production Manager, Story and 3-D Effects
- Kevin Susman
- Costume Design
- Kate Bergh
- Assistant Costume Designer
- Jane Holland
- Artistic Coordinator
- Tom Mazzocco
- Production Coordinator, Interstitials
- Lorry Ann Shea
- Production Stylist
- Sue C. Nichols
- Camera Operator, Digital Camera
- David J. Rowe
- Story Animation Supervisor
- Barry Johnson
- Story Artist
- Randy Cartwright, Vance Gerry, Kaan Kalyon, Kelly Wightman
- Scene Planner
- Mark Henley
- Artist
- Frank Dietz
- Key Visual Development
- Gay Lawrence, Valerio Ventura
- Layout Artist
- Rasoul Azadani, Robert Cardone
- Backgrounds
- Thomas Cardone
- Rough Inbetweener
- Noreen Beasley
- Inbetweener
- Stuart M. Ellis
- Props
- Philip Ivey
- Title Designer
- Susan Bradley
- Special Effects Supervisor, Paris Effects Unit
- Peter Demund
- Visual Effects Supervisor
- Mauro Maressa
- Visual Effects
- Colbert Fennelly
- Effects Technical Director
- Chris Hummel, Chris Hummel
- Supervising Visual Effects Animators
- James Devalera Mansfield, Dorse A. Lanpher
- Key Assistant Clean-Up Artist
- Emily Jiuliano (Hercules)
- Technical Director
- Kee-Suk 'Ken' Hahn
- Render I/O Technical Lead
- Mark M. Tokunaga
- Digital Ink and Paint Artists
- Dawn Gates, Nika Dunne
- Digital Trainer
- Caleb Gonzalez
- Compositor
- Jason Buske
- Computer Graphics Technical Director
- Jeff Wolverton
- CGI Technical Director, Hydra
- Sergi Sagas
- Executive Music Producer
- Chris Montan
- Executive Music Producer, Lyricist "No Importa La Distancia"
- Renato Lopez
- Lyricist, "No Importa La Distancia"
- Javier Ponton
- Conductor, Music Arranger, "Go The Distance"
- Jeremy Lubbock
- Conductor, Music Arranger, Vocal Arrangements
- Michael Kosarin
- Music Production Supervisors
- Ted Cooper, Tod Cooper
- Music Producer
- Alan Menken
- Music Producer, "I Won't Say I'm In Love"
- Pascal Gabriel
- Music Producer, "No Importa La Distancia"
- Ian Blake
- Music Producer, "Shooting Star"
- Nigel Wright
- Music Producer, "The Gospel Truth" and "A Star Is Born"
- Alan Glass
- Music Arranger, Orchestrator
- Danny Troob
- Music Arrangers, Producers, "Go The Distance"
- Walter Afanasieff, Michael Bolton
- Music Arranger, Producer, "No Importa La Distancia"
- K.C. Porter
- Music Arranger, Musician, "I Won't Say I'm In Love"
- Paul Statham
- Music Arranger, Strings, "Shooting Star"
- Pete Adams
- Music Engineer, "Shooting Star"
- Robin Sellars
- Music Engineer, Drum Programmer, "The Gospel Truth" and "A Star Is Born"
- Sheridan Tongue
- Music Programmer, "Shooting Star"
- Lee McCutheon
- Orchestra Contractors
- Sandy De Crescent, John Miller
- Orchestrator, "Go The Distance"
- John Kurlander
- Additional Score Orchestrators
- Brian Besterrman, Michael Starobin
- Supervising Music Copyist
- Dominic Fidelibus
- Musician, Live Piano, "The Gospel Truth" and "A Star Is Born"
- Robbie Taylor
- Musician, Organ, "The Gospel Truth" and "A Star Is Born"
- Luke Smith
- Muscian, Guitars, "The Gospel Truth" and "A Star Is Born"
- Milton MacDonald
- Vocal Contractors
- Bobbi Page, Fonzi Thornto
- Singers, "Go The Distance"
- Roger Bart, Michael Bolton
- Singer, "I Won't Say I'm In Love"
- Belinda Carlisle
- Singer, "No Importa La Distancia"
- Ricky Martin
- Singer, "Shooting Star"
- Boyzone
- Singer, "The Gospel Truth" and "A Star Is Born"
- Jocelyn Brown
- Singers, "The Gospel Truth", "A Star Is Born", "A True Hero/A Star Is Born" and
- Cheryl Freeman, La Chanze, Lillias White
- Singer, "Zero To Hero"
- Tawatha Agee
- Singer, "Gospel Truth", "A Star Is Born", "A True Hero/A Star Is Born" and "Zero
- Roz Ryan
- Background Singers, "A Star Is Born" and "The Gospel Truth"
- Lance Ellington, Hazel Fernandez, Juliette Roberts
- Background Singer, "I Won't Say I'm In Love"
- Anna Ross
- Supervising Sound Editor
- Tim Holland
- Sound Designer
- Gary Rydstrom
- Foley Editors
- Mary Helen Leasman, Marian Wilde
- Foley Artists
- Dennie Thorpe, Jana Vance
- Music Editors
- Kathleen Fogarty-Bennett, Earl Ghaffari
- Assistant Music Editor
- Daniel Gaber
- Score Mixer, Recordist
- John Richards
- Song Recordists
- John Richards, Frank Wolf
- Sound Recordists "Go The Distance"
- Dana Jon Chappelle, David Reitzas
- Additional Song Recordists
- Josh Abbey, Michael Pollack
- Sound Mixers, Songs
- John Richards, Frank Wolf
- Sound Mixer, Song "Go The Distance"
- Mick Guzauski
- Music Recording Assistants
- Thom Cadley, Tom Hardisty, David Marquette, Andrew Page, Brian Vibberts, Paul Wertheimer
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer
- Shawn Murphy
- Additional Production Supporter
- Tony Matthews
- Production Assistant
- Carrie Wilksen
- Technical Coordinator
- Ann Tucker
- Senior Technology Managers
- Edward Kummer, Enrique Santos, Dean Schiller
- Technology Manager
- Kirk Bodyfelt, Ben Croy, Michael R. Fodor, Kevin J. Hussey, Michael Jedlicka, Edwin R. Leonard, Thomas Moore Jr, James J. Sepe
- Multimedia Administrator
- Dominique Patard
- Software Engineer
- Andy King
- Technology Crew
- Hans Ku, Lyle S. Nojima
- Technology Production Support
- Graham S. Allan, Richard M. Barnes, Frank N. Bassi, Michael S. Blum, Brad Brooks, Letha L. Burchard, Mark R. Carlson, Nhi H. Casey, Bernard O. Ceguerra, Loren Chun, Peter Chun, Ray C. Coleman, Maria De Jesus Gomez, Ludovic Delmond, Jerry A. Eisenberg, Norbert Faerstain, Robert Falco, Todd Friedline, Mark Gilicinski, John D. Hoffman, Le Hua, Dave Kagels, Kevin E. Keech, Gordon Kent, Michael R. King, Christina C. Lau, Li-Ming 'Lawrence' Lee, Jean Mandonnet, Robert A. Mortensen, Jack Muleady, Jeff Nash, Troy R. Norin, Alan A. Patel, Todd Scopio, Kevin P. Shauger, Jeffrey Sickler, John Stimson, Sandy Sunseri, Joe Suzow, Warren Lee Theriot, Laurie Tracy, David Troude
- Additional Technology Supporters
- Raul Anaya, Michael C. Bolds, Brent Burley, Lawrence Chai, Gina Chen, Carol J. Choy, Charlie Collins, Michael Deerkoski, Scott Dolim, Elena Driskill, Dale Drummond, Scott Garrett, Steven L. Groom, Don Gworek, Gregory S. Heflin, Jason Hilkey, Bill James, Mark Jankins, Mark Kimball, R. Todd King, Stanley B. Lippmann, Brad Lowman, Michael Neville, Neil Okamoto, John Outten, Carlos Quinonez, Charles Stoner, Michael Sullivan, Scott S. Terek, Dave Tonnesen, Jon Y. Wada, Mark R. Wilkins, Derek E. Wilson
- Special Thanks
- Dick Caldwell
Production notes
June 14, 1997 reflects limited release showing. National release began on June 27, 1997.
In most versions of the Greek mythology, Hera is the antagonist while Hades is a neutral character. Here, it's the other way around.
This was the 35th film in the official Disney list of animated films.
In most versions of the Greek mythology, Hera is the antagonist while Hades is a neutral character. Here, it's the other way around.
This was the 35th film in the official Disney list of animated films.
Awards
Academy Award Nominee, Best Music, Song, "Go The Distance", 1998.
Golden Globe Nominee, Best Original Song- Motion Picture, "Go The Distance", Alan Menken (Music), David Zippel (Lyrics), 1997
Golden Globe Nominee, Best Original Song- Motion Picture, "Go The Distance", Alan Menken (Music), David Zippel (Lyrics), 1997
Pictures
Reviews
Hercules
This is an excellent production by Disney. The writters must have studied really hard the Greek mythology, since they manage to come up with a great story, by mixing a lot of different Greek myths. The characters are superb and the music is delighful (signed by Menken, so nothing but delightful is expected). It's one of the best Disney productions and I can watch it over and over, without getting bored of it.
Hercules
Hercules is the best that Disney has ever made. I can watch it over and over and it still doesn't get old. It's hilarious!
Hercules
I saw one hour of this festering pile and vowed 'never-again'! The whole thing just nauseates me. The songs were a BAAAAAAAAAAAAD idea!!
Hercules
HERCULES IS THE BEST MOVIE THAT IS MADE IN DISNEY.