Everything We Know About Disney's 'Aladdin' Remake
11/08/2017 03:32 pm EST
Will Smith confirmed to play Genie
After months of speculation Disney confirmed that Will Smith will portray the role of Genie on Saturday.
Smith will be taking over the iconic role previously voiced by the late Robin Williams in the 1992 animated film adaptation of the Middle East-set folk tale involving a young man granted three wishes by a genie trapped in a lamp and the adventure that ensues when an evil sorcerer goes after the magical object.
THR had announced earlier this year that Smith was in talks for the musical role.
Smith previously had been in talks with Tim Burton for a role in Burton's live-action Dumbo film, but was unable to come to an agreement due to scheduling conflicts with the now-delayed Bad Boys 3.
Naomi Scott cast as Princess Jasmine
Most recently seen playing the Pink Ranger in the Power Rangers reboot, actress Naomi Scott has been cast as Princess Jasmine.
Scott, who is a British actress and singer, previously appeared in the Fox series Terra Nova as well as the film The 33.
The casting of Scott, whose mother is from India, has been well-received following reports of casting issues. The BBC reported last week that filmmakers were searching for actors of Middle Eastern or Indian descent who could both sing and dance to fill the roles of Jasmine and Aladdin in the shadow of racial controversy from the 1992 animated film.
Disney did not comment on the challenges of the search.
Mena Massoud will star as Aladdin
The most surprising Aladdin casting announcement was that of Mena Massoud in the title role of Aladdin.
Egyptian-born and Canadian-raised Massoud is a relatively unknown actor with a current role in Amazon's Jack Ryan series starring John Krasinski. Massoud previously appeared in the TeenNick series Open Heart.
However, despite being a newcomer of sorts, Massoud already had a tie of sorts to the film. In 2015, Massoud gave an interview to The Hudsucker in which the actor cited the legendary Robin Williams as the actor whose work had most inspired him.
"Robin Williams in everything he did. He was an incredibly well-rounded actor but I grew up on his role in Mrs. Doubtfire. That role by itself is very well-rounded and he goes through an amazing journey in that movie. I think it's very underrated," Massoud said.
The film still needs a Jafar
Despite announcing the roles of Genie, Jasmine and Aladdin, one announcement was lacking from Disney's reveal at D23 on Saturday.
While The Sun previously reported that Ritchie was looking to cast Mad Max star Tom Hardy in the role of the villainous Jafar, no official deal has been worked out. A source told U.K. publication that Hardy, who also played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, is Ritchie's lead choice for Jafar, though it remains to be seen if schedules will work out.
"There have been conversations and, although nothing is set in stone and things are subject to change, he's certainly one of Guy's favored choices," the source said. "It just depends on schedules whether he'll be able to sign up."
Aladdin is set to go into production in the coming months with a 2019 release expected.
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