When it was first announced that Disney would be moving forward witha live-action remake ofMulan, fans were curious to see how the studio would proceed. Concerns were raised when rumors swirled that the film might introduce a “White Knight” narrative to the film, but Disney quickly put a cap on those fears,promising a cast full of Chinese actors and actresses.
And when it comes to the studio’s live-action version ofAladdin, which hasGuy Ritchieset to direct, it appears that Disney has no plans to whitewash this other 90s animated classic. Collider’s own Steve Weintraub recently spoke with producerDan Linin anticipation of the release ofThe LEGO Batman Movie, and Lin promised thatAladdinwill be diverse and authentic, alluding to a recent Persia-centric blockbuster that failed in this regard:
“Look at me. (Laughs) I mean I’m not a typical guy. Listen I’m very fortunate working in Hollywood; I am diverse. So when I came in to make the movie, I wanted to make a diverse version of the movie. Luckily for me Guy Ritchie has the same vision and Disney has the same vision, so we’re not here to makePrince of Persia. We want to make a movie that’s authentic to that world.”
Lin hinted that Ritchie and Co. are looking to cast newcomers in the major roles of Aladdin and Jasmine, also confirming that yes,Aladdinwill retain the musical aspect of the 90s original:
“We’re gonna be discovering new people because it’s a real challenge, because not only does an actor have to act, but they really have to have singing chops.”
This is certainly in line with the live-action adaptations Disney has done thus far.The Jungle Bookscaled back the musical aspects of the original film, but the upcomingBeauty and the Beastfeatures the return of songwritersAlan MenkenandTim Riceand is a full-on musical, and directorJon Favreau’s in-developmentThe Lion Kingwill retain the classic Tim Rice songs from that 1995 classic.Aladdinhad songs written by Menken, Rice, and the lateHoward Ashman, and given that Menken and Rice returned forBeauty and the Beast, one imagines they’ll also be involved inAladdin.
The challenge here is making a film that lives up to the iconic status of the original, which is especially curious given that Ritchie has never made a musical before. The filmmaker’s prior work hews closely to the action genre with a spunky spin, as films likeThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.andSherlock Holmeshave a playful spirit that should suitAladdinwell.
For Lin’s part, he says the task of following in the footsteps ofThe LEGO Moviehas prepared him to meet high standards:
“Disney’s done an amazing job fromCinderellato nowBeauty and the Beast—I saw it last week, the movie’s excellent. So they’ve really raised the bar for these musicals and these animation-to-live-action adaptations, that we have to then raise the bar onAladdin. I actually thinkThe LEGO BatmanMovie’s helped me, because on the firstLEGO Moviethe bar was so high, and I actually thinkLEGO Batman’s exceeded that bar. It’s the same challenge withAladdin—Disney’s done such a good job betweenCinderella,Beauty and the Beast, and thenAladdinwill hopefully be the next one up.”
Aladdindoesn’t yet have an official release date, but it’s one ofa number of animation-to-live-action adaptationsDisney currently has in development. According to Lin, however, it could be the next one out of the gate afterBeauty and the Beastopens next month.
Look for more from Steve’s interview with Lin on Collider soon.
