Disney continues to crank out live-action adaptations of its beloved animated classics, with no fewer than three new movies hitting the big screen this year. Dumbo is first, in March, and The Lion King is sure to be a box office smash in July. Between those two is the film that may be Disney's biggest gamble of 2019: Aladdin.
Hitting cinemas in May, Aladdin will be a re-telling of the animated tale of a street-rat with a heart of gold, the magic lamp he finds, and the princess that he woos. From what we've seen of the film so far, Aladdin will follow in the footsteps of Cinderella and Beauty And The Beast, as a near shot-for-shot remake of the original.
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However, as with these previous examples, Disney has also updated Aladdin for the 21st century, adding in new characters and new songs, and making changes to existing characters. Based on casting details, stills, trailers and posters, here are all the differences we've spotted so far.
- This Page: Jafar, Genie, and Jasmie
- Page 2: New Songs and New Characters
Jafar Is A Much Younger Man
In the original animation, when Jafar takes Aladdin to the Cave of Wonders, he does so disguised as a wizened old man. The two meet when Aladdin is imprisoned in the Palace (for 'kidnapping' the princess, although Jafar would have fabricated some other excuse for trapping him had he not met Jasmine), and Jafar appears as a fellow prisoner, an ancient man with a long white beard and crooked teeth. He claims that he needs Aladdin to go into the Cave for him because he is too old and infirm, and he remains in this disguise until Aladdin has been trapped by the Cave's collapse.
In the trailer, however, we see Jafar standing behind Aladdin as he enters the Cave, and this version of the character is in his Vizier regalia, with Iago on his shoulder. This means that Jafar uses some other excuse to get Aladdin to enter the Cave for him, without the subterfuge.
There's another age-related change to Jafar in this version, as well; even as the Vizier, he appears to be quite a bit younger than he was in the original. While the animated Jafar isn't given an age, when he attempts to make the Sultan marry Jasmine off to him, the Sultan argues that it shouldn't happen because "you're so old!" In the live-action version, however, Jafar is played by the 36-year-old Marwan Kenzari. With Naomi Scott (Jasmine) aged 25, and Mena Massoud (Aladdin) at 27, it seems that the age gap wouldn't be significant for a marriage.
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Jasmine's Costume Change (And Stronger Personality)
In the latest footage, Jasmine is seen walking down the Palace steps in an elaborate pink and gold dress that doesn't appear in the original. The animated Jasmine has only four outfits throughout the film: her brown 'commoner' disguise, her wedding outfit in the final scenes, the red outfit that she wears while serving Jafar, and the blue outfit that she is best known for. We've already seen shots of the updated versions of her blue and 'commoner' clothes, but it looks like this is a totally new look.
However, there is much more than just an outfit change for this Disney Princess. She has also been described as a stronger character than she was originally, with more of an ambition than to simply see a little more than just the inside of the palace. This version of the Princess will take an interest in actually running the kingdom, which seems to be an extension of the rebellious spirit of the original.
Will Smith's Genie
By far, the least-well-received change seen in the trailer is the first look at Will Smith as the Genie. It was always going to be difficult to find someone who could live up to the incredible Robin Williams, who voiced the Genie in the animation, but the overall look of the new Genie has left fans unimpressed. This Genie isn't the otherworldly being from the original, but simply a really big Will Smith, painted blue, and given some unusual facial hair. He also gets a necklace, and far more ornate jewellery (including those cursed cuffs).
While many of these details may seem like small changes, it's the overall look of the Genie that has left fans cold. Some of this may be smoothed out for the final film, as there's a lot of CGI going on here, and it doesn't look quite finished. However, it seems that the lynchpin of the movie, the Genie himself, could be one of the most disappointing elements.
Page 2: New Songs and New Characters
Two New Songs (And Other Musical Changes)
The catchy tunes are a central part of Aladdin, and thankfully it seems that they will be a big part of the live-action version. When casting, the ability to sing was a major part of the process, and director Guy Ritchie confirmed that the film will be a musical before production began. However, the soundtrack isn't going to be exactly the same, as it has also been confirmed that two new songs will be added.
Written by songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (The Greatest Showman, La La Land) working with Alan Menken, Aladdin will include a solo for Jasmine (something that she doesn't get in the original) as well as a new duet. The fact that a new duet is being written has caused some consternation among fans, who wonder if this could be a replacement for the classic (and award-winning) "A Whole New World," that Jasmine and Aladdin sing as they fall in love on a magic carpet ride. That ride is still happening, as we see the moment that Jasmine takes Aladdin's hand in the trailer, but the song may be changed.
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Thankfully, there will also be some changes to the song "Arabian Nights," which has been confirmed to have at least one new verse - likely to update it to become less painfully (and negatively) stereotypical when it comes to portraying life in the Middle East.
New Characters
In addition to new songs, there will also be a handful of new characters created for the live-action version of the film. Three new names have been revealed for the film: Dalia (Nasim Pedrad), Hakim (Numan Acar), and Prince Anders (Billy Magnussen).
Dalia is described as Jasmine's handmaiden and confidante, and will help bring a little more gender balance to the cast. In the original Jasmine is essentially the only female character, with the other women in the film limited to dancing girls and beggars seen throughout the city. Originally, Jasmine also bemoans the fact that she has never even had a real friend (except Raja, her tiger) - Dalia will presumably provide more of a friendship for her, even if she is her handmaiden.
Hakim is described as Jafar's right hand man, and head of the palace guards. In the animation, the head of the guards is named Razoul, although there is another guard called Hakim who has a very minor part. In the new version, it seems that Jafar will have Hakim as muscle and potentially even a co-conspirator.
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Prince Anders, finally, is assumed to be one of the suitors that Jasmine has to deal with, and his casting has caused more than a little controversy. He is described as a suitor from 'Skanland', where presumably the royal family is white. However, this is seen as a potential replacement for the snooty Prince Achmed of the original, and has raised criticism for whitewashing the original character.
What's Staying The Same?
While this may seem like a considerable list of changes, in the grand scheme of things it seems that most things are going to stay the same from animation to live action. Smaller plot points (like Jafar's disguise, or the Cave Of Wonders) won't detract from the original plot in any significant way, and much of the existing trailer re-creates moments from the original almost exactly (like Aladdin entering the cave, or taking Jasmine's hand). A few new songs, costumes, and characters may simply be Disney's way of creating something a little bit new, but for the most part, fans of the original will have nothing to worry about.
