Disney’s Aladdin is one of the most beloved cartoons of the Disney animated renaissance.
The story of an Arabian street urchin who finds a magical genie lamp and disguises himself as a wealthy prince to win the affections of a Sultan’s daughter, it’s loaded with whimsy, iconic musical numbers, and an all-timer voice performance from the late, great Robin Williams.
Following the blockbuster success of the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast in 2017, Disney has been powering through their other classic cartoons, reimagining them for a brand new generation. It was only a matter of time before Aladdin got the live-action treatment, and now, here it is: an extended tease at what the story and songs will look like with real people in the roles.
It… sure looks interesting.
Honestly, we’re not sure what to make of this thing. Obviously, Will Smith as the genie is the big talking point. We have to imagine the graphics aren’t finalized yet so maybe we should withhold total judgment, but it’s pretty shocking to see the actor as an inflatable balloon version of the character Williams made so memorable.
The trailer also gives us our first look at Marwan Kenzari in action as the villainous Jafar and Naomi Scott as Aladdin’s love interest, Jasmine. We also see Jafar’s pet parrot Iago, Jasmine’s pet tiger Rajah, and Aladdin’s pet monkey Abu. We already caught a glimpse at Mena Massoud as the titular urchin in the first teaser trailer, but he gets a little more screen time here.
There are a few parts that really stroke our curiosity. First, what appears to be a gorgeous “Prince Ali” musical sequence, with the elephants and parade that welcome Ali (Aladdin in disguise) into Agrabah.
We also get a blink-and-you’ll-miss it glance at Aladdin and Jasmine in their iconic outfits from their duet, “A Whole New World.”
These little bits definitely seem promising. Let’s hope they’re enough to chill the Genie-sized burn that Will Smith appearance is still causing.
Guy Ritche’s Aladdin will ride its magic carpet to theaters on May 24, 2019.
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Images: Disney
