You may have heard how Disney is making a live-action Aladdin. What you may not have heard is that they were having a hard time casting it. However, they recently announced at their D23 convention in Anaheim, CA the film's three main stars.
First of all, we have the movie's namesake. This actor would need to be able to play both a charming prince and an even more charming street rat. Who did they get?
Mena Massoud will be playing the role of Aladdin. Never heard of him before? That's because he's a relative newcomer to Hollywood.
Next, we have Jasmine. A truly iconic role, it won't be an easy feat to perfectly portray this princess. Who will Massoud's Aladdin show a whole new world to?
Jasmine will be played by Naomi Scott. She's actually a talented singer, so that can only help her in this role. She is most well-known for starring in the recent Power Rangers reboot.
Lastly, they announced who would play Genie. This was an especially hard casting decision. How could anyone replace the legendary Robin Williams in one of his most well-known characters? After all, many of us grew up with and learned life lessons from Genie.
Will Smith is up to the challenge. This might be his most difficult role yet, as he has some massive shoes to fill...even though the Genie didn't have shoes for most of the movie. You know what I mean.
The reactions to these cast announcements have been pretty split. Most agree that the two main leads do look a lot like their cartoon counterparts. Visually, at least, it should be pretty good.
For some, they're just excited their childhood is being rebooted. First the Power Rangers, now this. And they even got the same actress. It's all coming together in one place!
While Will Smith has an insane track record of putting in great performances, many are questioning if he bit off more than he can chew here. Many have hope for him. Who knows. If this goes well maybe he'll be in line for the lead when they inevitably remake Mrs. Doubtfire.
She's got the right idea. We haven't seen a single frame of footage yet. Heck, they just announced who'd be in it. Give it a chance. Even if they blow it, we'll still have the original.
It's nice to see positivity in the world. The internet was made for criticizing and belly-aching. Being genuinely optimistic is wonderful...for getting your hopes up to be eventually massively let down.
Others aren't as sold on Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Remember, Disney originally announced they wanted to cast Arabs in the role. Scott's mother is Indian.
Others rebutted this criticism. They pointed out that she is a P.O.C. and has great qualifications for the part. Also, the story is set in a fictional area, so who even knows where it's supposed to take place.
What do you think? Are you upset, optimistic or "we'll see" about these casting decisions? The movie is still a ways away, so we can keep ourselves busy with fun fan theories and other casting speculations in the meantime. Personally, I'm in the camp of "if Gilbert Gottfried doesn't return, than neither will I."