Hercules (1983 film)

Plot

The film is a retelling of the story of Hercules (Lou Ferrigno) battling the wizard Minos (William Berger), who uses "science" in an attempt to take over the world. Hercules must stop him and rescue his princess love in the process.

Production

Variety announced in 1982 that actor Lou Ferrigno would play the title role in Hercules and budgeted the film at $6 million. The film was originally announced to be directed by Bruno Mattei from a screenplay by Ricardo Ghione. Principal photography was scheduled to begin May 1982 in Rome, Italy while The Hollywood Reporter named Claudio Fragasso as screenwriter, and Ennio Morricone as music composer and conductor. Neither Mattei, Fragasso, or Morricone appear in onscreen credits. The Hollywood Reporter later stated that principal photography began on August 1982 in Italy under the direction of Luigi Cozzi.

Filmed back-to-back with The Seven Magnificent Gladiators in Italy in 1982. The Seven Magnificent Gladiators was filmed first, followed by the shooting of Hercules, which began on 12 July 1982.

Release

Hercules was released in the United States on 26 August 1983 with a 98 minute running time. The film ranked fourth in the United States box office in its opening weekend, earning $3,473,635. The film ultimately grossed $11 million.

Critical reception

The film received largely negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 14% rating based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 2.2/10.