hercules-berdal-johnson1-610x353Dwayne Johnson has developed something of a habit of coming into struggling franchises, and injecting a new lease of life. Be it Fast & Furious, Journey, or G.I. Joe – the superstar has this ability to simply improve films that he is in. Well now, he’s the main attraction from the very start in a potential franchise of his own – taking on the titular role in Brett Ratner’s Hercules.

HeyUGuys were fortunate enough to be members of an exclusive group of press, witnessing footage from the film before anybody else in the world. With an enthusiastic introduction by Ratner himself, a star-studded Q&A also followed, with Johnson joined by fellow co-stars Ian McShane, John Hurt, Irina Shayk, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Reece Ritchie and Aksel Hennie, making for an eventful occasion to say the least.

The footage itself looked impressive, as we were subject to an intense battle sequence, with Hercules at the very heart of it, as our collective of heroes stumble across a dangerous war zone. We also saw the title role flip over a horse and go head to head with a barbaric lion. Though without any narrative context, the brief footage we were shown was difficult to fully appreciate, but from a visual point of view it certainly looked the part – and within moments the casting of Johnson as Hercules felt completely perfect, as his robust physique matched with his ability to pull off sharp one-liners makes him the ideal selection.

We then watched the trailer in 3D, and stark comparisons between the quality of that and the 2D footage we were shown became apparent, as whether you’re fan of the format or not, in this instance, it seems to illuminate this classic tale and bring it to life on the big screen.

You can check out some footage from the film and the Q&A below.

Hercules is released on July 25th. Be sure to check back on the site nearer release for our review of the film, and our interviews with all cast and crew mentioned above.