Though it’s found itself in hot water of late, Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin reboot is the latest live-action feature to set up shop at Disney, where it joins the likes of Cruella, Dumbo, and The Lion King.
Dubbed a reimagining of the 1992 classic, Ritchie and his team have vowed to deliver a modern-day yarn that is both nuanced and faithful to the beloved original, which was anchored by a memorable performance from the late, great Robin Williams.
In his stead, Will Smith (Suicide Squad) will take over the role of the gregarious Genie, and we’re now learning that Aladdin will present a deep dive into all of the characters we know and love. At least, that’s according to Navid Negahban, who is poised to play the part of Jasmine’s father (AKA The Sultan) in the 2019 redo:
My name is ‘Singbad the Sailor’ so this is my name. I’m not a singer. My kids, they laugh at me when I start singing. Guy’s point of view goes deeper. One of the things he wanted to do and he was very, very cautious about it and he was emphasizing on that he wants to be very respectful of the characters.
At the heart of Disney’s retelling is Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott, who have climbed on board as Aladdin and Jasmine, respectively. Meanwhile, Marwan Kenzari (Murder on the Orient Express) has assumed the villainous role of Jafar. And that’s merely scratching the surface of what is undoubtedly an impressive cast list.
On the topic of Guy Ritchie’s direction, though, Negahban highlighted his approach to character development, before showering praise on the film’s costume designers:
He’s very, very cautious. He wants to show the depth of each of these characters and the film itself will be a film that no matter how old you are, you’re going to enjoy it. It’s a fantastic team. Beautiful, beautiful team. I mean, you will see the costumes. Gorgeous! Unbelievable!
As things stand, Aladdin has been penciled in for release on May 24th, 2019 – only two months before the arrival of Jon Favreau’s star-studded Lion King. Chances are Disney will reshuffle its deck closer to the time, but we’ll keep you posted nonetheless.