Aladdin and Episode IX are trading places.
Now that Disney has opted to delay its Star Wars sequel, likely to give the newly-appointed J.J. Abrams more time to hash out a screenplay with Justice League‘s Chris Terrio, it’s been confirmed that Guy Ritchie’s live-action remake will move into the slot previously occupied by Episode IX: May 24th, 2019.
The cameras are already rolling on the set of Ritchie’s Aladdin reboot, after Will Smith took to Facebook just last week to share a behind-the-scenes photo featuring his Genie alongside Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Naomi Scott (Princess Jasmine), and Marwan Kenzari (Jafar). Navid Negahban was a last-minute addition to the ensemble cast, after it was revealed that the Homeland actor had sealed a deal to play the Sultan.
And despite bringing together a fairly diverse pool of talent, Disney’s latest reimagining came under fire for selecting Billy Magnussen to play Prince Anders, a character created specifically for the Guy Ritchie-directed retelling. Whether that has much of an effect on the film’s box office takings will be told in time, but it does raise yet more concerns about whitewashing in Hollywood.
On a more general note, Aladdin wasn’t the only film affected by Disney’s Star Wars delay. From Magic Camp to the long-brewing adaptation of Artemis Fowl, there are a number of other projects gestating within the House of Mouse that have since relocated to new dates – or been removed from Disney’s slate entirely – including:
Magic Camp – TBD
Untitled Christopher Robin Project – August 3, 2018
Aladdin – May 24, 2019
Artemis Fowl – August 9, 2019
Nicole – November 8, 2019
Star Wars: Episode IX – December 20, 2019
So, there you have it; Aladdin will now be with us on May 24th, 2019. Beyond that, the Mouse House has drawn up plans for other live-action adaptations based on Mulan, The Lion King and Dumbo, the latter of which is coming from the inimitable Tim Burton.
On the other side of the Disney spectrum, J.J. Abrams has now been handed the keys to Star Wars: Episode IX ahead of its arrival on December 20th, 2019.
