Disney has released the first trailer for their live-action remake ofAladdin.Will Smithjust recently revealed the first poster for the upcoming reimagining online and we assumed that meant the trailer wouldn’t be far behind. We just didn’t know it would be this soon. Disney decided to unveil the trailer during Thursday Night Football as the Philadelphia Eagles went up against the New York Giants. But primetime belongs to Disney tonight.
This gives us our first footage fromDisney’s latest live-action remakeof one of their animated classics. Strangely, and somewhat frustratingly, we didn’t get our first taste of Will Smith as the Genie. The role originated with the late great and, frankly, irreplaceable Robin Williams in the original 1992 animated classic. Will fans be kind to Smith’s new take? We’ll have to wait and see. That’s going to be a tough hill to climb, but one would be hard-pressed to find someone with more charisma, and also someone who is so conversely different. Aside from that,Aladdinis a beloved classic all around and it will be interesting to see if this new take is embraced.
The cast includes a lot of relative unknowns to American audiences.Disneydidn’t want to wind up facing any sort of whitewashing controversy on this one.Mena Massoudhas a lot of pressure on his shoulders, as he’s been given the titular role following a very extensive casting search.Power Rangersstar Naomi Scott, who is also one of the newCharlie’s Angels, is also on board as Jasmine. Other key players include Marwan Kenzari as the villainous Jafar, Numan Acar as Hakim, the big bad guy’s right-hand man. Billy Magnussen and Nasim Pedrad are also on board as new characters created specifically for the remake. And, just for good measure, it’s been confirmed that Jasmine’s tiger Rajah will be included.
Director Guy Ritchieis at the helm for this one. The man behind such unique crime flicks asSnatchandLock Stock and Two Smoking Barrelsmay not seem like the most obvious choice, but he’s also proven his blockbuster chops with movies likeSherlock Holmes. Though, he is coming off of last year’sKing Arthur: Legend of the Sword, which was one of the biggest blockbuster flops of 2017. But he’s got Disney behind him and an already beloved property to work with. John August and Vanessa Taylor are credited with the screenplay.
This is just the latest in a series of very successful live-action remakes by Disney. It follows in the footsteps of movies likeAlice in Wonderland,Cinderella,Beauty and the BeastandThe Jungle Book. 1992’s animatedAladdinwas a bit hit. The movie grossed $504 million worldwide working from a budget of just $28 million. It went on to inspire several direct to home video sequels, as well as an animated TV series. The live-actionAladdinremake is set to arrive in theaters on June 13, 2025. Be sure to check out the new trailer fromWalt Disney Studios Youtube channelfor yourself below.
