Dwayne Johnson's Herculean labour of love

Like a towering titan of Greek mythology, Hercules looms large in popular culture to this day. The son of Zeus, known for his incredible strength and courage as he completed the so-called 12 labours, he's inspired comics, video games, cartoons, books, television shows and literally dozens of movies.

Hollywood, it seems, just can't get enough of him. "Hercules is the ultimate character. He's the first superhero," says director Brett Ratner, in what sounds like the perfect movie studio pitch.

Already this year, we've seen Kellan Lutz play him in Renny Harlin's The Legend of Hercules. With the reviews for that January release poor and the box office weak, most seemed to be banking on Ratner's version - simply titled Hercules - to overthrow all-comers. It has the distinct advantage of starring Dwayne Johnson, the ex-WWE wrestler formerly known as "The Rock" - an apt nickname for an actor destined to play the man-mountain Hercules.

"I grew up loving and admiring Hercules," the 42-year-old Johnson admits. "There's that iconic moment where Hercules breaks his chains from the pillars and screams 'I am Hercules!' For me, as a kid, that was a mesmerising moment. I remember having a poster of Steve Reeves, in the old days, where those posters look painted, so I was always inspired by it."

The first actor to play the character (in 1957's Hercules), Reeves also appeared in a 1959 sequel Hercules Unchained. These Italian productions spawned a series of 18 more Hercules films featuring other actors.

Previously a bodybuilder, Reeves inspired a generation - with fellow beefcakes such as Arnold Schwarzenegger (in his first film, 1969's Hercules in New York) and Lou Ferrigno (who followed his career-making role as The Incredible Hulk on television by playing the character in 1983's Hercules) also taking a crack. Understandably, Johnson was obsessed. When he first arrived in Hollywood, back in the late 1990s, Hercules was the first movie idea he enquired about - but it fell on deaf ears. "At that time, I didn't have the ability to green-light anything," he says.

Now it's different, with roles in the Fast & Furious franchise, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and The Scorpion King turning him into one of Hollywood's biggest action stars. "There's nobody else of this generation that could've played this role," says Ratner, whose past movies include the Rush Hour series with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. "We all loved Steve Reeves, we all loved Arnold. But for this generation, Dwayne is the ultimate Hercules."