Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith is reportedly in talks to play the Genie in Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin, according to Deadline. Shooting is scheduled to begin in the summer, but the studio has yet to make any official casting announcements for the movie. As previously reported, Disney recently put out an open casting call for the roles of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine.
Read: DISNEY CALLS FOR MIDDLE EASTERN ACTORS FOR ALADDIN FILM
To be helmed by Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie, the film will be a movie musical based on the original Oscar-winning 1992 animated feature, which featured a score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice. The Aladdin remake comes hot off the heels of Disney’s successful live-action Beauty & the Beast, which was released March 17 and reached over $200 million in sales by its fifth day of release, breaking box office records.
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Remakes of the animated films Dumbo, Mulan, and The Lion King are also in the works.
The stage adaptation of Aladdin is currently playing on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Joshua de la Cruz plays the title role, Courtney Reed plays Jasmine, and Major Attaway is the Genie.
