Disney’s live-action Aladdin is set to hit theaters in May and one of the most eagerly anticipated elements of the upcoming film is Will Smith as the iconic Genie. However, every look thus far of Smith in the role has been of the character’s more human look leaving many fans to wonder just what he will look like blue. Now, Aladdin producer Dan Lin is teasing just that.
Speaking with Variety, Lin teased “big blue Genie” with a bit of “hip hop flavor”.
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Producer Dan Lin talks Jasmine’s new song in the upcoming #Aladdin live action film pic.twitter.com/0rdhXMFNBF
— Variety (@Variety) February 2, 2019
“He’s big blue Genie,” Lin said. “He’s got a great tail, he’s really bulky but he’s really fun. He brings his own style and hip hop flavor to it.”
First brought to life in the animated film by Robin Williams, Smith’s casting as Genie was one of the most polarizing of the film with many fans uncertain how Smith will look once turned blue. On top of appearance, Smith has some big shoes to fill in terms of mannerisms and way of speaking as Williams’ Genie was such a larger-than-life character. Lin’s comments seem to indicate that instead of simply trying to recreate Williams’ Genie, Smith is putting his own spin on things. It’s something that’s understandable, as Smith has previously told Entertainment Weekly that it was “terrifying” to take on the beloved character.
“Whenever you’re doing things that are iconic, it’s always terrifying,” Smith said. “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.
“[Williams] infused the character with a timeless version of himself,” Smith continued. “I started to feel confident that I could deliver something that was an homage to Robin Williams but was musically different. Just the flavor of the character would be enough and unique enough that it would be in a different lane, versus trying to compete.”
Guy Ritchie is helming the new Aladdin movie, from a script he co-wrote with Vanessa Taylor and John August. The film stars Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Naomi Scott (Jasmine), Will Smith (the Genie), Billy Magnussen (Prince Anders), Nasim Pedrad (Dalia), Marwan Kenzari (Jafar), Numan Acar (Hakim), and Navid Negahban (Sultan).
What do you think of Lin’s comments about Smith’s Genie? Let us know in the comments below.
Disney’s Aladdin is set to hit theaters on May 24th.
