'Aladdin' Cast News, Release Date: Disney's Live-Action Adaptation Moves to May 2019; Billy Magnussen Cast as New Character
Disney's live-action adaptation of "Aladdin" will be heading to cinemas earlier than planned.
It has been announced that "Aladdin" has switched places in the premiere calendar with "Star Wars Episode 9." The Disney classic was initially scheduled to be released on Dec. 20, 2019, but it will now fly into U.S. theaters on May 24 of the same year. The move was presumably made because "Star Wars Episode 9" has a new director.
Production on "Aladdin" is currently underway. Will Smith, who will be portraying the iconic role of Genie, shared the first cast photo on his Facebook page. The photo consisted of Smith, Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Naomi Scott (Princess Jasmine) and Marwan Kenzari (Jafar).
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Not in the photo was "Saturday Night Live" alum Nasim Pedrad, who is playing a character named Mara, Jasmine's handmaiden and friend. The character was created specifically for the live-adaptation.
Another character not in the animated film is Prince Anders. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Billy Magnussen will be taking over the new role. Details about Magnussen's character, however, are being kept under wraps for now.
Magnussen will have no problem adjusting to his musical role, as he previously played a Disney prince in "Into the Woods" alongside Chris Pine. However, his casting drew a lot of flak on social media with claims of whitewashing.
This was not the first time Disney's live-action "Aladdin" has come under fire for controversial casting. When it was first announced that Scott would be playing Princess Jasmine, many people voiced their criticisms on social media since they said Scott was not of Middle Eastern descent. It is important to note that Scott is of British and Indian ancestry.
The upcoming film is being directed by Guy Ritchie from a script written by John August. It is only the latest animated classic that Disney has adapted into a live-action film, following the success of "Maleficent" and "Beauty and the Beast," among others.
