January 17, 2013 12:18

New 'Hercules' movie starring Dwayne Johnson gets release date

Based on a popular graphic novel, the film will hit cinemas in August 2014

The new Hercules movie starring Dwayne Johnson has been given a release date by Paramount Pictures and MGM.

The film, based on a popular graphic novel called Hercules: The Thracian Wars, will open in cinemas on August 8, 2014. The project was officially announced back in November (2012).

Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X Men: The Last Stand) will direct from a script penned by rookie screenwriter Ryan Condal. Production is due to begin early this year (2013).

In the meantime, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has several high-profile movies on the release slates. He stars with Bruce Willis in blockbuster sequel GI Joe: Retaliation, due this March, and appears alongside Mark Wahlberg in Pain & Gain, an action comedy scheduled for release in April.

Hercules, a mythological hero famed for his immense strength, first appeared on the big screen in a series of Italian films in the 1950s and 1960s. The character has been played by countless actors over the years. Most notably, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in a cult 1970 film called Hercules In New York, while Tate Donovan provided his voice in a 1997 animated Disney movie.