PETER BERG - HANCOCK HELMER PETER BERG TO TAKE ON HERCULES FILM

HANCOCK HELMER PETER BERG TO TAKE ON HERCULES FILM

Peter Berg is to direct a new film based on the story of Hercules for Universal Studios, it has been confirmed.

The Hancock director will produce and develop Hercules: The Thracian Wars, based on Steve Moore's five-issue comic book series released in May this year.

The Radical Publishing release sees Hercules, or Heracles as he is known in Greek literature, and a band of mercenaries hired by a tyrannical king help with the effort of reuniting the rival tribes of Thrace into a united state.

And Berg, along with Spyglass Entertainment's Jonathan Glickman, Roger Birnbaum and Gary Barber, are to produce the film adaptation, with Radical's Barry Levine also on board.

"What resonated for them was that this was character driven, about a character who's more man than god, with conflicts and redemption," Levine told Variety.

Weta Workshops, the creative studio responsible for the special effects on the Lord of the Rings films, created a number of concept art pieces for the release of Hercules: The Thracian Wars, fuelling rumours that the New Zealand-based firm could be involved in its big screen incarnation.

Berg, a former star of medical drama Chicago Hope, is also contracted to direct a remake of 80s sci-fi classic Dune for Paramount Pictures.