Hercules and the Lost Kingdom

***Hercules and the Lost Kingdom*** is a 1994 television movie starring Kevin Sorbo and Renee O'Connor. 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 Monks. Hercules helps the refugees take back the city.

## Plot synopsis 
Three men are running along a riverside. One of them stops to take a drink from the river. As he stoops down to quench his thirst a female figure made of water rises out of the river and pulls him under, drowning him. The other two men run on. While running, one man is hit by a boulder and killed. The remaining man escapes. Elsewhere a young woman is collecting water, when the ground begins to shake. She flees back to her 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. The giant challenges Hercules to a fight. Hercules goes outside and beats the giant. As the village celebrates the defeat the man from earlier arrives in the village. He 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 he says that Hera made it vanish. 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 to their water god. Hercules saves her 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 her 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, 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 go 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. 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 and this is where she is from. Deianeira and Hercules get caught in a trap and taken to the king. The king is ill. He and his daughter are reunited. He tells her that the Cult of the Blue Priests have taken over the city and the people have taken refuge in the woods. He tells Deianeira to rule them well, and then dies.

Hercules tutors the people of Troy and prepares them to battle to take back Troy. Deianeira realises that the people can not 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 an underground 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 we see Hercules thrown down from out of the sky. A man approaches him asking him for help. Hercules agrees and the two men walk off to the next adventure.

## Series continuity and notes 
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*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*.

## Main cast 
*Kevin Sorbo as Hercules
*Renee O'Connor as Deianeira
*Anthony Quinn as Zeus

## Other websites 
*Hercules and the Lost Kingdom at Whoosh.org
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