Disney Developing Live-Action MEDUSA Movie With Dwayne Johnson Producing

Disney is bringing one of Greek mythology’s most terrifying monsters to the big screen! A live-action Medusa movie is officially in development, with Dwayne Johnson producing through his Seven Bucks Productions banner.

According to Deadline, Disney has hired Michael Montemayor, whose credits include Tangled, to write the screenplay. There’s no word yet on what direction the story will take, but Medusa has plenty of mythology to work with, and Disney could have some fun exploring her origins.

For those who need a refresher, Medusa is one of the three Gorgon sisters in Greek mythology, alongside Euryale and Stheno. The daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, these creatures are best known for their monstrous appearances, with Medusa sporting a head full of living snakes and a deadly gaze that turns anyone who looks directly at her into stone.

Her most famous story involves the Greek hero Perseus, who manages to kill her by cutting off her head. He then uses it as a weapon, since her petrifying powers continue working even after her death.

You might remember the awesome Medusa sequence from the 1981 fantasy classic Clash of the Titans. That stop-motion creature was nightmare fuel for an entire generation of kids, and it remains one of the film's most memorable monsters.

Medusa has also appeared throughout pop culture, including the Percy Jackson franchise, the God of War video games, and DC Comics, where she's fought Wonder Woman. In one particularly wild comic book storyline, Diana Prince actually blinds herself to defeat the Gorgon. Medusa's image is even featured in the famous Versace logo.

As for why Disney is interested in giving Medusa her own movie, Greek mythology has been doing pretty well in entertainment lately. The success of Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and the massive box office performance of The Odyssey certainly make a project like this appealing.

The big question is whether Disney plans to make Medusa the villain of her own story or give audiences a different perspective on the legendary monster.

Considering the studio's history with films like Maleficent and Cruella, it wouldn't be surprising to see Medusa portrayed as a tragic or misunderstood character rather than a straightforward monster.

Medusa could be an especially interesting character to explore that way, given the darker elements of her mythology.

As for Johnson, right now, he's only attached as a producer, and there's no indication that he plans to star. Still, it's amusing to imagine The Rock showing up as Zeus or another Greek god. He already played Hercules in the 2014 film, so he's no stranger to Greek mythology.

A live-action Medusa movie could be pretty cool, especially if Disney embraces the creature's frightening mythology instead of sanding off everything that makes her interesting. There's plenty of potential for a visually impressive fantasy adventure here.