Disney has announced the cast of the upcoming live-action ‘Aladdin’
Disney fanatics, we have some exciting news for you: The cast for the highly-anticipated live-action version of “Aladdin” has been announced. The film is set to premiere in theaters on May 24, 2019. Here’s who will be playing all your favorite characters (plus a few new ones!) in the retelling of this classic story about a poor teen who falls in love with a princess and uses a genie’s magic powers to win her over.
Aladdin: Mena Massoud
Massoud was born in Egypt and raised in Canada. While he has previous television roles under his belt and is slated to appear in the forthcoming series “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” his role as the title character in “Aladdin” may come to be considered his big break.
Princess Jasmine: Naomi Scott
The role of the spirited Princess of Argabah, Jasmine, will be played by Naomi Scott. You may know Scott from her role from the recent movie adaptation of another 1990s childhood classic, “Power Rangers.” Scott has also previously worked with Disney, having appeared in the Disney Channel U.K. series “Life Bites” and the Disney Channel original movie “Lemonade Mouth.”
Sultan: Navid Negahban
Jafar: Marwan Kenzari
The movie’s iconic villain, Jafar, will be played by Tunisian-Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari. While Kenzari may be a bit of an unknown stateside, he has received critical acclaim for his role in the Dutch crime drama “Wolf.”
The Genie: Will Smith
The iconic role of The Genie was famously voiced by comedic great Robin Williams in the animated version. Multi-talented and Oscar-nominated actor Will Smith will take on the role in the live-action film.
There are also a few new characters that will appear in the new “Aladdin” movie.
Dalia: Nasim Pedrad
“Saturday Night Live” star Nasim Pedrad will play Princess Jasmine’s handmaiden, Dalia.
Prince Anders: Billy Magnussen
Billy Magnussen will portray another new addition to the film, Prince Anders, who is a potential suitor for Princess Jasmine. Magnussen is most well known for his work in “Into the Woods” and “Bridge of Spies.”
Hakim: Numan Acar
Another “Homeland” star, Numan Acar, will play Hakim, who is the head of the palace guards. Acar is also well known for his roles in “Prison Break” and “The Great Wall.”
We can’t wait to see what these actors do with their roles in this reboot of such a beloved Disney classic!