Will Smith will reportedly return as the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin 2
Will Smith is rumored to return as the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin 2 for his first role since Chris Rock’s infamous Oscar slap
- A report from The Sun claims that Disney will bring back the 54-year-old Smith to reprise his role as the Genie from 2019’s Aladdin.
- Aladdin was a huge success, earning $355.5 million domestically and $1.054 million worldwide on a budget of $180 million.
- Smith’s co-stars Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott are expected to return as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, respectively.
Will Smith is getting back to work, almost a year after his infamous Oscar slap, which Eddie Murphy recently mocked at the Golden Globes.
The 54-year-old actor will reportedly return to play the Genie in a sequel to Disney’s 2019 live-action adaptation of Aladdin, via Sun.
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Slap: Will Smith is getting back to work, nearly a year after his infamous Oscar slap, which Eddie Murphy recently mocked at the Golden Globes.
Genie Returns: The 54-year-old actor will reportedly reprise his role as the Genie in a sequel to Disney’s 2019 live-action adaptation of Aladdin, via The Sun
While Smith won his first Oscar for King Richard just minutes after the slap in the face, his career has been in the doldrums.
He resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is banned from the Oscars for the next 10 years.
While he had projects in the works like another Bad Boys sequel and The Council, there have been no announcements of new roles since he slapped Chris Rock on live television on Oscar Sunday.
Oscar win: While Smith won his first Oscar for King Richard just minutes after the slap in the face, his career has been in the doldrums.
It is now said that he will return as the Genie, with sources claiming that he will have an even bigger role in the sequel than he did in the 2019 live-action adaptation.
“This would be one of the first movies Will has shot since the Oscars slap and it’s pretty amazing given that it’s going to be for a kids’ movie,” the anonymous source said.
“He’s done a lot of work on himself and the consensus is that it’s all in the past by the time the movie comes out,” the source added.
Bigger Role: He’s now said to be returning as the Genie, with sources claiming he’ll have an even bigger role in the sequel than he did in the 2019 live-action adaptation.
“The first movie was a huge success, so it would be silly not to do another one, and it would be a real shame to have to cast Will again because of what happened. So Disney is willing to support him and bring him back into the fold,” the source added.
2019’s Aladdin was a huge success, earning $355.5 million domestically and $1.054 billion worldwide on a budget of $180 million.
The sequel was officially announced in February 2020 with new writers John Gatins (Flight) and Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton) penning the script.
Big Hit: 2019’s Aladdin was a huge hit, earning $355.5 million domestically and $1.054 billion worldwide on a budget of $180 million
Reports claimed that Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Naomi Scott (Princess Jasmine), and Smith would reprise their roles from the original, though that was not confirmed.
When asked about the sequel last month, Massoud said: “There’s been a change with the writers and they’re working on a new draft.”
“If Aladdin 2 happens, that’s fantastic. should happen. It will not be based on the animated version. This is going to be a new original story,” he added.
Sequel: Reports claimed that Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Naomi Scott (Princess Jasmine), and Smith would reprise their roles from the original, though that was not confirmed.