Disney fans can’t wait to return for another Arabian Night in Agrabah this May when Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin remake flies into theaters (on a magic carpet). We’re expecting to get a new trailer any day now, but ahead of that, we have a pretty cool banner for the movie that offers a new look at the ensemble cast, which mixes fresh faces and established stars.
Anyone familiar with the classic animated film can work out at least four out of five of the characters featured in the banner. The evil-looking guy with the snake-shaped staff is indeed Jafar, treacherous grand vizier to the Sultan, as played by Marwan Kenzari. As is well-known, Will Smith will be taking over as the Genie. And don’t worry, his blue form will appear, it just seems he’ll mostly transform himself into a cost-effective human body. Mena Massoud, meanwhile, is the titular diamond in the rough, while Power Rangers‘ Naomi Scott is Princess Jasmine.
The fifth character might stump those who know the original backwards though, as she’s a new creation for the remake. In place of Jasmine’s faithful pet tiger Raja, the princess’ best friend in the film will be Dalia, her handmaiden and confidante, portrayed by Nasim Pedrad. For those mourning Raja’s removal, bear in mind that Dalia’s inclusion literally doubles the number of major female characters in the story, so the switch is probably a good thing.
Cast members not featured in the banner include Legion‘s Navid Negahban as the Sultan, Billy Magnussen (Game Night) as Prince Anders, Robby Haynes as Razoul, the head of the palace guards, and Numan Acar as Hakim. Similar to Dalia, Hakim’s a human replacement for Jafar’s parrot stooge Iago in the animation.
Be sure to watch out for the new Aladdin trailer this weekend during the Super Bowl, ahead of the movie’s release on May 24th.
