Ariana Grande finally weighs in on those Hercules Megara fan castings.
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The singer/songwriter turned actress blew audiences away with her portrayal of Glinda in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked, a role she’s dreamed of playing for decades. This reignited talks about Grande portraying Megara in the Hercules live-action film, greenlit by Disney. While Grande is flattered fans want to see her in the role, her pick for the role is near and dear to her heart.
“It’s really funny, because I grew up singing the Muses’ parts. [laughs] … I have seen some of that, but it’s never been an actual discussion,” Grande tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit podcast (H/T CinemaBlend). “As much as I really love transforming for a role – and I do love the idea of, you know, a darker sort of – ‘c’ asterisk ‘unty’ role like Megara, I do think that I would be remiss if I didn’t say this, I think [Elizabeth] Gillies should be Megara. Do you know my friend Liz Gillies? She’s brilliant. Oh god, that would be a fantastic role for her.”
Gillies is another name that has frequently come up in the Megara discussion. Not only does she have the look and sultry acting needed to pull off Meg, but she’s got the chops, too. Gillies is most known for her role as Jade West on Victorious. She and Grande met starring in Broadway’s 13 and have remained friends since. Gillies later starred in The CW’s remake of Dynasty where she frequently shows off her powerful vocals.
[RELATED: Wicked 2: Ariana Grande Teases “Pivotal” Original Song for Glinda]
Hercules is the latest beloved Disney film to get the remake treatment. The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Lilo and Stitch are just a few of them to get a live-action adaption, and Disney shows no signs of stopping. Hercules was first announced in 2022 but there was a period with no updates at all.
In 2024 The Russo Brothers, who signed on to produce through AGBO, confirmed the film is still in the works. While most details are still unknown, the duo previously explained that the reimagination is “a little bit more experimental in tone, a little bit more experimental in execution.”
“There are questions about how you translate it as a musical,” Joe Russo told Variety. “Audiences today have been trained by TikTok, right? What is their expectation of what that musical looks like and feels like? That can be a lot of fun and help us push the boundaries a little bit on how you execute a modern musical.”
In the meantime, catch the stage adaptation of Disney’s Hercules heading to London’s West End this year and stream the animated film on Disney+.
