We all remember growing up with timeless Disney classics. The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Cinderella all come to mind for a live action remake. Guy Ritchie had another movie in mind, one that is a beloved memory of the late Robin Willians. This is of course the new live-action adaptation of Aladdin, starring Will Smith as the Genie.
The first problem faced by Guy Ritchie was how they were going to handle the said Genie role in Aladdin. The shoes Robin Williams left are huge ones to fill, and they needed someone who could make the character their own.
“The great thing about the role of the Genie is that it’s essentially a hyperbole for who that individual actor is, so it’s a wonderful platform and tapestry for an actor to fill his boots on,” Ritchie says. So in stepped one of the funniest forces in entertainment: Will Smith.” -Guy Ritchie
Will Smith has a dynamic range of skills, so he might be the best choice for the role in Aladdin. He has starred in a wide arrange of roles, so the potential he possesses brings in a magnitude of options for the movie.
“Whenever you’re doing things that are iconic, it’s always terrifying,” Smith tells EW with his trademark booming laugh. “The question is always: Where was there meat left on the bone? Robin didn’t leave a lot of meat on the bone with the character.” -Entertainment Weekly
“But if Williams “infused the character with a timeless version of himself,” Smith says, then the 50-year-old actor was going to do the same. “I started to feel confident that I could deliver something that was an homage to Robin Williams but was musically different,” he says. “Just the flavor of the character would be different enough and unique enough that it would be in a different lane, versus trying to compete.”
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