The excitement surrounding Aladdin just kicked into high gear, as Walt Disney Studios released a trailer for the live action film.
In the trailer, fans are treated to a brief glimpse of Agrabah, the Cave of Wonders and Aladdin himself. The film, directed by Guy Ritchie, started production this year with Mena Massoud starring as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine, Will Smith as the Genie, and Marwan Kenzari as the evil Jafar.
The trailer comes a day after Will Smith shared the first poster of the film (featuring the magical gold lamp) on Instagram. “LEMME OUT!!” the actor wrote. “Can’t wait for y’all to see Me BLUE!”
The movie will follow the original 1992 storyline closely, but fans can look forward to some differences. Nasim Pedrad is set to play a handmaiden named Dalia, who will serve as an important friend to Princess Jasmine.
“The Dalia character is so important to this movie because she’s the only other female character. She may be the handmaiden but they’re best friends. They’re so close because they’ve grown up together,” Naomi Scott said in an interview. “So we wanted people to watch the movie and see Jasmine’s relationship with another woman, and be like, ‘Ah, that’s what I’m like with my girlfriend,’ or ‘We would so do that if I was in that position.’ That’s something that’s missing from the animation.”
Scott also described her take on Jasmine, saying that she emphasized her leadership qualities. “In this adaptation of the movie you really get that her heart is for her people, and her main objective is what’s best for her kingdom,” she says. “And you really get a sense that she has those leadership qualities within her.
Aladdin opens in theaters on May 24, 2019.
