Raise your hand if you’re excited for the live action Aladdin. Disney is making our hearts pitter-patter with all their live action remakes. First The Jungle Book; then Beauty and the Beast and Mulan; now, Aladdin!
Aladdin will keep many of the musical elements we love about the original film, but the studio’s putting a whole new spin on it. They plan to make the story line non-linear, which is why they’ve enlisted Guy Ritchie as the film’s director.
Ritchie is a pro when it comes to telling non-linear stories. He got his start by directing crime thrillers like Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch that tell stories in a similar way. Ritchie’s latest project, King Arthur, may hint at what’s to come for Aladdin. We’re already predicting that it will be a thrilling action film without much of the comedy and light-heartedness of the original — and that’s not a bad thing.
We love the animated Aladdin for what it is. It’s funny; it’s emotional. We’re not the only ones who think so — the film won Oscars for best score and best song. How epic was “A Whole New World”? As much as we love the cartoon, there are some action-packed, nerve-wracking parts that would really suit a darker, action-movie vibe. Remember when Aladdin was zipping through that sand-filled cave on his magic carpet? That’s epic. We bit our nails the whole time. Jafar was such a perfect villain too, and imagine how creepy he could be in real life!
The one thing the remake will be missing is Robin Williams, whose performance as the Genie was hysterical, heartfelt and captivating. It’s hard to imagine the Genie as anyone else, and it’s uncertain who is even going to try to fill those shoes.
Aladdin‘s screenplay will be tackled by John August. Jonathan Eirich will executive produce the film with Dan Lin, who produced the Holmes movies for Warner Bros. Disney has enlisted this top talent to help craft what they call an ambitious, non-traditional take on the classic. We can’t wait to see where this goes.
