A brand new look at Will Smith as the Genie for the upcoming live-action Aladdin movie has been revealed.
As Disney’s live-action Aladdin inches closer towards its release, we are starting to learn more about what we can expect from the film. The first look left some fans underwhelmed or just down right turned off by Aladdin, with the main culprit for the film’s initial skepticism being Will Smith’s blue version of the Genie. While the internet had a field day crafting memes of Smith’s blue Genie, Disney soldiered on and released a second trailer providing a better look at the character which put many fans at ease. In ongoing promotion for Aladdin, Empire released a new look at Will Smith’s Genie, showing the actor as the character in his human form.
Along with the photo, Will Smith also made some comments in regards to the now infamous first look at the blue Genie. While talking about the film, Smith addressed the first look and the subsequent memes that came from it by saying:
“It was very funny, there was a Sonic The Hedgehog / Genie frog. Everything is under such critical scrutiny. I came up in an era where there was no internet. It’s a new thing that I’m trying to get a handle on.”
While it delighted the rest of us, it is good to hear that the actor also enjoyed the memes that his character spawned. Although Smith wasn’t the only one with comments about the fans and internet response. Aladdin director Guy Ritchie also shared his thoughts on how the initial first look impacted the film and how the second trailer won over a lot of fans. When talking about fan response for the second trailer, Ritchie stated:
“It even came with apologies from the cynics who were so adamant initially, I’ve never seen apologies in that world. I thought, ‘Oh well, great, we’re back to where I’d hoped we’d be.’”
It seems that the film is back on track and that the director and actor are both pleased with the perception of the film. Are you excited about Aladdin? What do you think of Will Smith as the Genie? Comment down below!
Aladdin opens in theatres on May 24, 2019. Here’s the offficial synopsis:
A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, “Aladdin” is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future.
The film stars Will Smith as the Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Jasmine, Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, Navid Negahban as the Sultan, Nasim Pedrad as Dalia, Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders, and Numan Acar as Hakim.
Source: Empire
