He’s out of the bottle.
The Lion King might have broken the Internet when the recent trailer was released but they’ve never had a friend like me.
Oh yes, the genie is out of the bottle because we’ve been given out first look at the show-stopping, wish-granting, fast-talking Genie in Guy Ritchie’s live-action version of Aladdin.
Of course, nobody could ever replicate Robin Williams’ unique mixture of electricity, laughs, and empathy, but Smith has decades of comedy to rely upon and if he can tap into some of the frenetic energy that he perfected in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, he could prove to be a very clever choice.
A whole new world. Check out the exclusive first look at Disney’s #Aladdin on the cover of the newest issue of @EW! https://t.co/WZkpxh4YNU pic.twitter.com/ch0zpbM7AQ
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) December 19, 2018
This being said, we’re entering a whole new world (geddit?) and the same can be said for Guy Ritchie because he’s more familiar for directing the likes of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and Sherlock Holmes.
Speaking with EW, the director said that Smith is the perfect choice to play the wise-cracking and quick-talking Genie.
“The great thing about the role of the Genie is that it’s essentially a hyperbole for who that individual actor is, so it’s a wonderful platform and tapestry for an actor to fill his boots on,” said Ritchie.
Smith said that his take on the character will be very different to what Williams did in the original.
“I started to feel confident that I could deliver something that was an homage to Robin Williams but was musically different. Just the flavour of the character would be different enough and unique enough that it would be in a different lane, versus trying to compete,” said the Men In Black star.
Elsewhere, Mena Massoud will be playing the titular role with Naomi Scott cast as Princess Jasmine.
Big Fish screenwriter John August is handling the script and the story will stick to the 1992 original.
Can Ritchie make a film that captures the spirit of the original?
Well, the first trailer looked very promising.
All will be revealed when Aladdin is released on 24 May, 2019.
Clip via Walt Disney Studios
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