Disney continues to rifle through their animated film catalog to make live-action redos, and currently in the works is “Aladdin,” directed by Guy Ritchie. How the filmmaker retained the job after “King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword” is a conversation for another day, but the development process has certainly gone to some interesting places. This spring we learned that Will Smith was being eyed to play the Genie, but, before any of that can happen, the movie needs a lead, and Disney is having some trouble.
THR reports that, while production was initially slated to begin this month, everything has been pushed back because the filmmakers can’t settle on a lead. They are keen on finding an actor of Middle-Eastern or Indian descent and, to that end, Dev Patel and Riz Ahmed were eyed. Whether it got to a stage where conversations were happening, or if the actors declined isn’t clear, but Disney is apparently keen on having a newcomer lead the movie. Meanwhile, Naomi Scott (“Power Rangers“) and Indian actress Tara Sutaria are being eyed to play Jasmine, but nothing is being locked down until Aladdin is cast, so they can ensure the two leads will have genuine chemistry.
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If you think this means the project is in trouble, then you don’t know how committed Disney is to quality. The studio won’t rush anything until it’s right, and their long string of hits confirms they have a ridiculously well-oiled blockbuster machine. While “Aladdin” may have trouble finding a lead, the rest of the project is lining up heavyweights to be involved, including musical veterans Marc Platt and Chris Montan. So, don’t worry about Disney, this “Aladdin” project is going to happen, even if takes a bit longer to get the genie magic going.