*The live action version of the Disney classic “Aladdin” flies into theaters next May, and eager fans finally got a glimpse of the characters on this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly.
Will Smith, who stars as the beloved Genie, spoke about how he and director Guy Ritchie put a new spin on the 1992 animated classic. The actor says he plans to bring a “hip-hop flavor” to role while also paying “homage” to the late Robin Williams.
“Whenever you’re doing things that are iconic, it’s always terrifying,” Smith said. “The question is always: Where was there meat left on the bone? Robin didn’t leave a lot of meat on the bone with the character.”
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He added: “I started to feel confident that I could deliver something that was an homage to Robin Williams but was musically different,” he added. “Just the flavor of the character would be different enough and unique enough that it would be in a different lane, versus trying to compete.”
Williams voiced the Genie in the 1992 Disney film and since he “infused the character with a timeless version of himself,” Smith wanted to do the same.
“I think it’ll stand out as unique even in the Disney world,” he said. “There hasn’t been a lot of that hip-hop flavor in Disney history.”
The EW cover shows the first look at Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine. Like the original, Disney describes Aladdin as a “hapless but lovable street rat who is smitten with the Sultan’s daughter” and stumbles upon a magic lamp inhabited by a wish-granting genie.
“Jasmine’s main objective at the beginning is to really protect her people and to do right by them,” Scott said of the Disney princess. “She definitely isn’t a finished article at the beginning of the movie, but she has this beautiful arc and progression, and she goes from asking for what she wants to just taking it, and displaying that she is a leader.”
“Aladdin” arrives in theaters May 24, 2019.
Exclusive: Go behind-the-scenes of Disney’s live-action #Aladdin with Will Smith, @MenaMassoud, and @NaomiScott: https://t.co/iXVob3Ef75 pic.twitter.com/iYVla9ibgw
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) December 19, 2018
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