One of three Disney live-action remakes coming our way this year is Aladdin. The reimagining of the beloved 1992 animated movie is being helmed by Guy Ritchie and stars the likes of Mena Massoud as the titular street rat turned prince, Marwan Kenzari as the villainous vizier Jafar and, of course, Will Smith taking over from the late, great Robin Williams as Aladdin’s wish-granting best pal the Genie.
The role of the love of Al’s life, Princess Jasmine, meanwhile, is played by rising star Naomi Scott (previously seen in Power Rangers, soon to be seen in Charlie’s Angels). And this week, USA Today has debuted a brand new look at the character, which gives us a better glimpse at one of the ornate costumes worn by Scott in what will no doubt be a sumptuous production.
The actress also shared a few words about her take on the popular Disney princess with the outlet. She explained why Aladdin and Jasmine have such a great romance – “They’re the perfect partnership because they both need each other and teach each other,” she said – and also how Jasmine’s arc in the live-action film is about the royal “finding her voice.”
“She gradually finds the courage to speak out against injustice and that’s kind of her objective from the start of the movie: ‘I see these people, I love them.’ ”
That’s a neat modernization of the heroine. In the original animation, Jasmine has strong feelings about her father the Sultan’s antiquated law that states she has to marry a prince. As such, widening her feelings about this to include the way her father rules over the whole population of Agrabah should really help flesh her out.
We also learned recently of how Smith’s Genie will be different from Williams’ iconic portrayal. For one, the musical stylings of Smith’s take on the character will be unique, with the star saying he wanted to bring hip hop into the Disney world. That certainly sounds interesting, and we’ll get to see all the three-dimensional takes on these folks in action when Aladdin flies (on a carpet) into theaters on May 24th.