Disney granted our wishes over the weekend when they revealed the cast of Guy Ritchie’s live-action reboot of Aladdin!
Canadian actor and heartthrob Mena Massoud who currently stars on Amazon’s Jack Ryan will play Aladdin. It has also been reported that Will Smith is confirmed to play the Genie, following his talks for the role while Power Rangers star Naomi Scott will take on the role of Princess Jasmine.
The news was revealed at Disney’s fan convention, the D23 Expo, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, near Disneyland. Massoud also took to Twitter to express his excitement on getting the lead role.
https://twitter.com/MenaMassoud/status/886311069614055424
It was recently reported that the studio was having problems casting the lead character. Disney was looking for a man in his twenties who can sing and act and preferred someone of Middle Eastern or Indian descent. Slumdog Millionaire‘s Dev Patel and The Night Of‘s Riz Ahmed were also considered for the part.
Production was supposed to begin in July, but pushed back filming until August due to casting difficulties.
[Source]
