Your wish is Disney's command; the first poster and teaser trailer for the 2019 live action remake of 'Aladdin' have finally been released and it promises an adventure just as magical as the original 1992 animation. This long anticipated remake of one of the most beloved Disney classics of all time will be directed by Guy Ritchie and is set to come to cinemas on May 24th 2019. It has a glittering, star studded cast, including Will Smith as the Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Jasmine, and Marwan Kenzari as Jafar.
Yesterday evening cast members shared an image of the new poster via their social media accounts. The poster strongly echoes that of the original animation, with vibrant purples and blues, and the ornate gold lamp which also faithfully sticks to the original design. At the bottom of the poster are the words "choose wisely", clearly indicating the choice of wishes Aladdin will have to make. The poster plays clear homage to the original Disney poster , which also featured an image of the lamp with the words: "Imagine if you had three wishes, three hopes, three dreams, and they could all come true".
Not only have Disney blessed us with this magical poster, already promising all our wishes will come true, but today the first teaser was also launched worldwide, giving us the first glimpse of the land of Agrabah...
A Whole New World?
While the film promises to remain faithful to the original classic to a certain extent, we already know that we can expect a few surprises. Not only will the film feature several new characters, such as a Prince Anders (Billy Magnussen), but it will also line up various new songs.
While the legendary music of Alan Menken will be hard to live up to, it seems that the award-winning maestros from 'La La Land' and 'The Greatest Showman', Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, are up for the challenge. They will be working alongside the original pen master to compose two new songs, one of which will be a brand new solo for Jasmine. The controversial lyrics for 'Arabin Nights' are also going to be altered, in order to convey a more tasteful and respectful tone.
This song was not the only aspect of the original film which caused a deal of controversy; many people found the presentation of a seemingly violent and barbaric society to be disrespectful and racist. In particular, critics highlighted the scene in which a stall vendor threatens to chop off Jasmine's hand for giving an apple to a child. However, Navid Negahban (The Sultan) has promised that the remake will "honour and respect" the culture of its setting.
