After a troubling report earlier in the week about Disney having trouble finding their leads for their upcoming live action adaptation of the animated Aladdin, our concerns have been laid to rest with the new casting news from the D23 Expo.
It’s been announced that Mena Massoud will be playing Aladdin, Naomi Scott will be playing Jasmine and, as rumored, Will Smith will be taking the role as Genie, stepping into the impossible shoes of the late, great Robin Williams. Most recently Scott was seen playing the Pink Power Ranger in 2017’s Power Rangers adaptation while Massoud can be seen in the Jack Ryan television series. Both relative up and comers, it will be nice to see fresh faces take on this classic. While live Disney films have been generally hit or miss (for every Cinderella or The Jungle Book there’s a Alice in Wonderland to remind us how precious childhood memories can be ruined) Aladdin is one of the stories that deserves the epic live action treatment, especially with a Disney budget and in today’s age where so much can be accomplished.
With Guy Ritchie at the helm, there’s still reason to worry a touch about how delicately the storyline will be handled and if it will turn into some campy, overtly masculine film but considering he’s also a hit or miss, there’s room to be optimistic.
Let us know what you think of the casting news.
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