‘Aladdin’ TV Spot Finally Reveals Will Smith As The Big Blue Genie
When the first teaser trailer for Disney’s live-action remake ofAladdinfirst arrived, fans were fairly underwhelmed. Not only did the teaser offer very little footage ofMena Massoudas Aladdin andNaomi Scottas Jasmine, but it didn’t give us a look atWill Smithas the genie in the famous lamp at the center of the story. Even when the first images of Will Smith in the movie arrived, he wasn’t blue like the famed genie voiced by Robin Williams in the 1992 animated classic. But that changed today.
A surpriseAladdinTV spot that aired during the Grammys not only brought more footage, but it finally gave us a shot of Will Smith in all his blue glory. And, oh boy, it’s certainly something to behold.
Aladdin TV Spot
The new Aladdin TV spot begins with more footage from outside the Cave of Wonders, including a much better glimpse atMarwan Kenzarias the villain Jafar. But we also get another look inside the cave as well, where all the treasures one could ever desire are scattered. There’s even a shot of the cave exploding and falling apart after Aladdin’s monkey Apu presumably touches one of the pieces of treasure he’s not supposed to.
The rest of the TV spot is loaded with quick shots of iconic moments from the original movie, including the parade that Aladdin brings into Agrabah when he becomes Prince AliAbabwa. There’s also that lovely moment when Jasmine reaches for Aladdin’s hand before they go on their magic carpet ride.
But the real money shot is this one right here at the very end of the TV spot:
That’s Will Smith as the genie, and while he has the trademarks of the original blue wish-granter fromAladdin, there obviously still needs to be some major work done on Will Smith’s face. It would appear that the character is being brought to life through motion capture, at least for when the genie is floating around or a larger size. Hopefully they won’t have to use motion capture the entire time, because these visual effects don’t look all that dazzling. They’ve got a few months to fix it, but there’s a lot of work to be done.
Interestingly enough, a new still from the movie actually makes the genie look better:
The rest of theAladdincast includesNavid Negahbanas Jasmine’s father the Sultan, as well asNasim Pedradas Dalia andBilly Magnussenas Prince Anders, two roles created solely for the remake of the movie. The latter is likely another suitor for Princess Jasmine, one much different from the prince seen in the originalAladdin. There’s alsoNuman Acaras Hakim, which was the name of one of the henchman in the original Aladdin, and that very well could be the case here too.
Alan Menkenreturns to provide the score forAladdin, which will include new recordings of the original songs he wrote withHoward AshmanandTim Rice. There will also be two new songs joining the beloved soundtrack from the original movie, this time written by Menken,Benji PasekandJustin Paul.
They’re all under the direction ofGuy Ritchiewith a script he wrote withJohn August.
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. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, “Aladdin” is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s “Aladdin.”
