Hercules and the Lost Kingdom

Last updated
Hercules and the Lost Kingdom
Written by Christian Williams
Directed by Harley Cokeliss
Original release
ReleaseMay 2, 1994 (1994-05-02)
Related

Hercules and the Lost Kingdom is the second television movie in the syndicated fantasy series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys .

Contents

In the film, Hercules comes to the aid of a young woman who is seeking the lost city of Troy. Eventually, Hercules leads her to a camp of refugees from the city, which has been taken over by Hera's Blue Priests. Hercules helps the refugees take back the city.

Plot

Three foot messengers are running along the riverside, one of them stops to take a drink from the river. As he stoops down to quench his thirst, a female figure composed of water rises out of the river and pulls him under, drowning him. While the other two men run on, one man is hit by a boulder and killed, and the remaining man escapes.

Elsewhere, a young woman is collecting flowers when the ground begins to shake. She flees back to the village to warn them that a giant is coming. The giant follows the woman to the village and rips the roof of the tavern. Hercules presents himself to the giant and the giant challenges Hercules to a fight. Hercules goes outside and he beats the giant. As the village celebrates the giant's defeat, the exhausted messenger from earlier in the film arrives in the village, and asks for Hercules' help. He explains to Hercules that his people have been driven from their city, the lost city of Troy.

Zeus appears and Hercules asks him if he will help him. He asks his father how to find Troy and is told that Hera vanished it, and to find it Hercules must find the one true compass which will point the way to Troy. Hercules heads off to find the compass, he finds a tribe of men preparing to sacrifice a young virgin woman to their water god. Hercules saves the girl from being sacrificed, while unknowingly being watched by a mysterious robed figure. The woman tells Hercules that her name is Deianeira. Later in the evening as they camp for the night, Deianeira tells him a story that she is the daughter of a King. She sees the dark figure and asks who he is and why she is being followed, but the figure does not answer. Later Hercules and Deianeira arrive at the slave market looking for Queen Omphale of Lydia, the last person to have possessed the compass. In order to get to see the Queen, Hercules sells himself as a slave, and the Queen buys him. After spending the night with the Queen Hercules gets the compass, and he and Deianeira continue searching for Troy. Deianeira gets attacked by some men, but the figure in the dark robe saves her and tells her to follow her destiny.

Hercules and Deianeira head on to Troy, they arrive at the ocean and the figure standing on the cliffs summons a sea serpent to do Hera's bidding. It swallows Hercules and Deianeira, but Hercules kills the monster from inside and they are washed up on the shore. Deianeira sees Troy in the distance and tells Hercules that she now remembers this is where she is from. Deianeira and Hercules get caught in a trap and taken to the king. The king is ill and he and his daughter are reunited. He tells Deianeira that the Cult of the Blue Priests have taken over the city and the people have taken refuge in the woods. He tells her to rule them well, and then dies.

Hercules tutors the people of Troy and prepares them to battle to take back Troy. Deianeira realizes that the people cannot beat the Cult of the Blue Priests and goes looking for the Blue Priest. The people notice that Deianeira is missing and Hercules and the people use a tunnel to get into the city. As the people fight the cult members Hercules goes looking for Deianeira, he finds her about to be sacrificed to Hera and saves her. The Blue Priest and Hercules fight and Hercules cuts off the Priest's head. A huge storm approaches, and Zeus tells Hercules that Hera is coming for Deianeira, Hercules saves her and Hera takes Hercules instead. As Deianeira is crowned Queen of Troy, Hercules is thrown down from the sky elsewhere. A man approaches him asking him for help, Hercules agrees and the two men walk off to the next adventure.

Cast

Production

Casting

Waylin (Robert Trebor) was originally intended to become a recurring character in the television series, but the producers felt that the character runs its course in the movie and had limited potential after, so the character of money-making Salmoneus was created for Trebor instead.

This is Renee O'Connor's first appearance in the shared Hercules-Xena universe

Elizabeth Hawthorne, who played Queen Omphale, went on to play Hercules' mother in the TV series.

Nathaniel Lees went on to have numerous different roles in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys , Xena: Warrior Princess and Young Hercules .

Characters

The "Deianeira" character (played by Renee O'Connor) is not the same character as Hercules' future wife Deianeira (portrayed by Tawny Kitaen) in the succeeding movies/series, also in the mythology the real name of Trojan King Laomedon's daughter is Hesione.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hera</span> Goddess from Greek mythology, wife and sister of Zeus

In ancient Greek religion, Hera is the goddess of marriage, women, and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. In Greek mythology, she is queen of the twelve Olympians and Mount Olympus, sister and wife of Zeus, and daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. One of her defining characteristics in myth is her jealous and vengeful nature in dealing with any who offended her, especially Zeus's numerous adulterous lovers and illegitimate offspring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heracles</span> Divine hero in Greek mythology

Heracles, born Alcaeus or Alcides, was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon. He was a descendant and half-brother of Perseus. He was the greatest of the Greek heroes, the ancestor of royal clans who claimed to be Heracleidae (Ἡρακλεῖδαι), and a champion of the Olympian order against chthonic monsters. In Rome and the modern West, he is known as Hercules, with whom the later Roman emperors, in particular Commodus and Maximian, often identified themselves. Details of his cult were adapted to Rome as well.

<i>Hercules: The Legendary Journeys</i> 1995 television series

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is an American television series filmed in New Zealand, based on the tales of the classical Greco-Roman culture hero Heracles. Starring Kevin Sorbo as Hercules and Michael Hurst as Iolaus, it was produced from January 16, 1995, to November 22, 1999. It ran for six seasons, producing action figures and other memorabilia as it became one of the highest-rated syndicated television shows in the world at that time. It has aired on Once Channel, Sky1, five/5, Heroes & Icons, and Horror.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omphale</span> Daughter of Iardanus, in Greek mythology

In Greek mythology, Omphale was queen of the kingdom of Lydia in Asia Minor. Diodorus Siculus provides the first appearance of the Omphale theme in literature, though Aeschylus was aware of the episode. The Greeks did not recognize her as a goddess: the undisputed etymological connection with omphalos, the world-navel, has never been made clear. In her best-known myth, she is the mistress of the hero Heracles during a year of required servitude, a scenario that, according to some, offered writers and artists opportunities to explore sexual roles and erotic themes.

<i>Jason and the Argonauts</i> (1963 film) 1963 film by Don Chaffey

Jason and the Argonauts is a 1963 independent fantasy adventure film distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was produced by Charles H. Schneer, directed by Don Chaffey, and stars Todd Armstrong, while co-starring Nancy Kovack, Honor Blackman, and Gary Raymond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zeus (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Zeus is a fictional deity, appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is based on the god Zeus in Greek mythology.

<i>Samson and His Mighty Challenge</i> 1965 film

Samson and His Mighty Challenge is a 1964 Italian sword-and-sandal film, released in 1965 at the very tail end of the peplum craze. Its original title was Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus gli invincibili. It is also known as Samson and the Mighty Challenge, Combate dei Gigantes, Triumph of the Giants or Le Grand Defi.

<i>Jason and the Argonauts</i> (miniseries) 2000 American television miniseries

Jason and the Argonauts, is a 2000 American two-part television miniseries directed by Nick Willing and produced by Hallmark Entertainment. It is based on the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts.

<i>Hercules and the Amazon Women</i> 1994 television film

Hercules and the Amazon Women is the first television movie in the syndicated fantasy series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and marked the debut of Kevin Sorbo as the titular character Hercules and co-starred Anthony Quinn, Michael Hurst, Roma Downey and Lucy Lawless.

Hercules is a 2005 American television miniseries chronicling the life of the legendary Greek hero, Heracles, called Hercules in this series. It is most often aired on television as a two-part miniseries: the first part documents his early life in Tiryns and his desire and marriage to the lady Megara; the second part follows the more widely recognised part of his life, in seeking redemption for the madness-induced murder of his family.

<i>Hercules and the Circle of Fire</i> 1994 television film

Hercules and the Circle of Fire is the third television movie in the syndicated fantasy series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

Hercules in the Underworld is the fourth television movie in the syndicated fantasy series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur is the fifth and final television movie in the syndicated fantasy series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

<i>Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus</i> 1998 American film

Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus is a 1998 American animated action-adventure direct-to-video film starring the voices of Kevin Sorbo, Lucy Lawless, Michael Hurst, Renee O'Connor, Kevin Smith and Alexandra Tydings, all reprising their roles from the two live-action/special effects television series, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. In the film, Zeus' wife Hera releases the four Titans after eons of imprisonment in a fit of jealousy, prompting Hercules and Xena to join forces and stop her. The film was produced and directed by Lynne Naylor.

<i>The Adventures of Hercules</i> 1985 film

The Adventures of Hercules also known as Hercules II: The Adventures of Hercules is the 1985 sequel to the 1983 film Hercules. It was written and directed by Luigi Cozzi and has bodybuilder-turned-actor Lou Ferrigno reprising his role as the title character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Challenge of the Gods</span>

"Challenge of the Gods" was a seven issue comic book story arc written and drawn by George Pérez, with co-writing by Len Wein. It is the second arc of the Wonder Woman title that was, at the time, recently relaunched.

<i>Dialogues of the Gods</i> Dialogues by Lucian of Samosata

Dialogues of the Gods are 25 miniature dialogues mocking the Homeric conception of the Greek gods written in the Attic Greek dialect by the Syrian author Lucian of Samosata. There are 25 dialogues in total. The work was translated into Latin c. 1518 by Livio Guidolotto, the apostolic assistant of Pope Leo X.

<i>Lore Olympus</i> Romance webcomic by Rachel Smythe

Lore Olympus is a romance webcomic created by New Zealand artist Rachel Smythe. The comic is a modern retelling of the relationship between the Greek goddess and god Persephone and Hades. It began publishing weekly on the platform Webtoon in March 2018. Lore Olympus is currently the most popular comic on Webtoon; as of March 2024, it has 1.4 billion views and 6.5 million subscribers. The comic has won a Harvey Award, two Eisner Awards, and received nominations for Ringo Awards. It was announced in 2019 that a television adaptation was under development.