Disney is currently in the process of casting for their live-action remake ofAladdinand things are already pretty interesting. Earlier this week it was revealed thatSuicide SquadstarWill Smithis in negotiations to take on the role of the Genie in the upcoming remake, but it turns out he wasn’t the first actor who Disney had their eye on. It has now been revealed thatKevin Hartwas approached by the Mouse House for the part beforeWill Smithcame into the picture.
The news comes from Variety reporterJustin KrollonTwitterand, according to him, it looks like theCentrail Intelligencestar and big-time comedian was the studio’s first choice to play the Genie in this new version ofAladdin. He tagged fellow reportersJeff SneiderandSimon Thompsonin the tweet, who suggestedKevin Hartfor the part of Iago, Jaffar’s bird, in the movie. Here is whatJustin Krollhad to say about it.
“Hey @ShowbizSimon and @TheInSneider funny you said Kevin Hart for Iago in Aladdin cause they actually went out to him for the Genie B4 Will”
There is no word on whyKevin Hartdidn’t end up with the role, but it seems like he is out of the running. He may have passed on it or the deal just may not have worked out once he was approached. So they have moved on toWill Smith, who hasn’t yet signed on for the movie, but is being courted to play the role.Will Smithis no doubt a bigger star, all things considered, but his career was in a bit of a slump prior toSuicide Squad, and several of his other recent offerings, such asCollateral Beauty, underperformed at the box office.Kevin Hart, on the other hand, is a star on the rise and his recent movies have done very well. So both actors make sense for their own reasons.
No matter who winds up playing the Genie in thelive-action Aladdin remake, they will have some seriously huge shoes to fill. The role was originally played by the lateRobin Williamsin the 1992 animated classic and remains one of his most beloved and recognizable performances in any movie animated or otherwise. So it is possible thatKevin Hartjust didn’t want to risk having to live up to the legacy of that character in this new movie. Like the other recent Disney live-action remakes of animated classics,Aladdinwill have musical numbers in it. So, sinceWill Smithhas an impressive acting resume and a very accomplished musical career as well, he might make more sense for the part.
Guy Ritchie(Snatch,The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) has been tapped to direct theAladdin remake, with a script fromJohn August(Big Fish). This will be just one of many live-action adaptations that Disney has in the works, as their recent, similar offerings have all done very well at the box office. Most recently,Beauty and the Beastcrossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office after less than a month in theaters. They also have adaptations ofDumbo,The Lion King,MulanandThe Little Mermaid, among others, in various stages of the development process. The studio has not yet set a release date forAladdin, but it is expected to shoot in the U.K. this June.
