Aladdin Star Naomi Scott Cast in Sci-Fi Film Distant

Between Aladdin, Power Rangers, and Charlie’s Angels, Naomi Scott has become a pretty formidable name in the world of movie franchises. Now, it looks like Scott is headed back into the world of genre movies, with a co-starring role in the upcoming sci-fi comedy Distant. According to a new report, Scott will be playing the female lead in the film, opposite Hamilton star Anthony Ramos. Scott will be replacing Rachel Brosnahan in the role, who has reportedly stepped away from the project due to COVID-19 related scheduling conflicts with the next season of Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Distant tells the story of an asteroid miner who, after crash-landing on an alien planet, must contend with the challenges of his new surroundings, while making his way across the harsh terrain to the only other survivor – a woman who is trapped in her escape pod. The film will be directed by Blades of Glory directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon, who also serve as executive producers alongside Jonathan Rothbart and Matt Hirsch. The spec script for the project is penned by Spenser Cohen. Producers include Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Fred Berger and Anna Halberg.

After making her feature film debut as the Pink Power Ranger in Power Rangers, Scott has only grown in popularity, in part thanks to her role in the billion-dollar live-action remake of Aladdin. That version of the film saw Scott’s Jasmine having a much more expanded role than in the original movie, including an entirely new original song.

“The song is the perfect embodiment of my character. It’s about speaking out against injustice and that they can’t shut you down,” Scott said in an interview last year. “First of all, it’s a timely thing that everyone could relate to. She has Jafar and she’s got her father for different reasons telling her she should just be quiet basically. She goes through this journey to realize her actions do matter and what she says does matter. She’s going to speak out against injustice. That song is going to be that focal point. In the movie, she makes that decision.”

“It is quite emotional as well,” Scott continued. “I think it’s very relatable to all young girls and many adults who has been shut down at some point. Your voice matters. It is a great message to tell kids to be speaking out against injustice even if you’re not going to win. Honestly, it’s incredible to have this in the movie. It’s pretty special.”

What do you think of Scott joining the cast of Distant? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

h/t: Deadline