Perhaps the biggest hurdle Disney faced on itslive-action remake ofAladdinwas the prospect of replacing the irreplaceableRobin Williams, whoisGenie. But now the studio has settled on who’ll be filling that role in the new film, and it’s none other thanWill Smith. Yes indeed, Deadline reports that Smith is currently in early negotiations to fill the role of Genie in Disney’s live-actionAladdin, which hasGuy Ritchieset to direct.
Disney’s 1992 animated film was itself an adaptation of the Arabian folktaleOne Thousand and One Nights, but the film carved out its own identity thanks to tremendous original songs byAlan Menken,Tim Rice, and the lateHoward Ashman, as well as a scene-stealing performance from Williams as Genie. The comedian was in the midst of his rocket to superstardom in the 90s, and Williams’ improvisational style was imbued into the Genie character as the animators worked to bring him to life. Genie, truly, was Robin Williams.
But this isn’t the first time someone other than Williams is filling the Genie role. Disney subsequently turnedAladdininto a Broadway musical, debuting in 2011, withJames Monroe Inglehartoriginating the stage version of Genie. So choosing Smith here is a nice nod to the non-white Broadway portrayal, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s one of the most recognizable movie stars on the planet.
Smith is funny and quick on his feet, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of take he has on the character. This news comes as Smith recentlyturned down a lead role in Disney’sDumbo, which hasTim Burtondirecting, so clearly he found something more amenable in thisAladdinproject. Ritchie’s version will still be a musical, and they’reholding open casting callsfor the lead roles of Aladdin and Jasmine as Disney looks to cast non-white actors for the film. Which put all the more pressure on casting Genie, since Aladdin and Jasmine will likely be played by unrecognizable newcomers.
Production onAladdinis set to get underway this summer, after Ritchie releases his most recent directorial effortKing Arthur: Legend of the Sword. The Disney film is a major change of pace for theSnatchfilmmaker, but securing Smith is a smart move and it’ll be interesting to see how the film comes together. Smith, meanwhile, stars in the Netflix’s first “blockbuster"Bright, which hits the streaming service later this year.
A release date forAladdinis still TBA, butclick here to see a full listof all the Disney live-action remakes currently in development, fromThe Lion KingtoJames and the Giant Peach.
