Entertainment Weekly has another First Look for Disney fans, and this time they’re taking them to Agrabah. The magazine recently sat down with the cast of Disney’s live-action Aladdin to talk filming, set building, and the Genie.
What’s happening:
- Disney’s live-action remake of the classic film Aladdin is nearing its theatrical debut.
- As excitement surrounding the movie grows, Entertainment Weekly interviewed the cast and shared a few fun pictures of the upcoming film.
- EW takes guests further into the “Whole New World” in the latest issue that will be available on newsstands this Friday.
Aladdin Cast:
- Will Smith as Genie
- Mena Massoud as Aladdin
- Naomi Scott as Jasmine
- Marwan Kenzari as Jafar
- Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders
- Navid Negahban as the Sultan
- Nasim Pedrad as Dalia
- Numan Acar as Hakim
Pictures:
Street rat with a heart of gold
Princess Jasmine's new best friend
One jump ahead
What they’re saying:
- Nasim Pedrad on the character of Jasmine: “Jasmine is so resilient and independent in this version, she’s focused on things other than which boy she’s going to end up with. She really wants to be a leader, and Dalia really supports that but at the same time wants to make sure she doesn’t get in trouble.”
- Naomi Scott on playing Jasmine: “Having a Disney princess that looked something like me, I think was really powerful. Jasmine’s main objective at the beginning is to really protect her people and to do right by them. 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.”
- Mena Massoud on the diversity of the cast: “We’ve covered almost every continent, which is rare these days, but I’m really proud to be in a film that represents so many visible and ethnically different cultures.”
- Mena Massoud on Will Smith: “What was nice about Will was that the more I got to know him and the more I spent time with him, the stronger naturally our relationships became with our characters.”
- Will Smith on Aladdin: “When you think timeless Disney classic, you’re not really thinking Guy Ritchie. But he brings a beautiful edge to the look and feel and imagining of Aladdin.”
- Will Smith on the Genie: “Whenever you’re doing things that are iconic, it’s always terrifying. 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. [Williams] infused the character with a timeless version of himself. I started to feel confident that I could deliver something that was an homage to Robin Williams but was musically different. 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.”
- WIll Smith on adding his style to the film: “I think it’ll stand out as unique even in the Disney world. There hasn’t been a lot of that hip-hop flavor in Disney history.”
- Director Guy Ritchie on Will Smith’s 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.”
Disney’s Aladdin debuts on May 24, 2019.