Disney has finally revealed the first look at Will Smith in action as the Genie in their new live-action remake of Aladdin – and it’s fair to say fans are divided.
A new trailer for the film dropped during Sunday night’s Grammys, which showed Will as the character made famous by Robin Williams for the first time.
Following fans’ fears he would not be blue following the release of an Entertainment Weekly cover released last year, the trailer also confirms film-makers have stayed true to the 1992 animated version of the Genie.
However, his CGI look has not exactly thrilled everyone…
The trailer also sees Aladdin – played by Mena Massoud – heading in to the magical cave, where finds the famous lamp and meets the Genie for the first time.
There are also glimpses of Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine and Marwan Kenzari as the villainous Jafar.
From the one-minute trailer, there are at least some fans out there who are still excited to see what the film has in store…
Will Smith previously admitted he initially found the task of playing the Genie a daunting one, telling Entertainment Weekly: “Whenever you’re doing things that are iconic, it’s always terrifying. 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.”
He went on to say he eventually grew confident that he “could deliver something that was an homage to Robin Williams but was musically different”, adding: “Just the flavour of the character would be different enough and unique enough that it would be in a different lane, versus trying to compete.”
Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie, is set to hit cinemas in May, and follows a string of live-action Disney remakes, including Cinderella, Beauty And The Beast and Maleficent, a reimagining of Sleeping Beauty.
However, the film has faced some criticism for its casting choices. Some fans left angry when it was announced Billy Magnussen would be cast as a brand new character, Prince Anders, in a move that was labelled unnecessary whitewashing.
Others were also unhappy with the decision to cast Naomi Scott – who is of British, Indian and Ugandan heritage – as Princess Jasmine, rather than a woman of Middle Eastern descent.
The live-action version of Aladdin is not the only Disney remake to be released this year, with July seeing an all-star retelling of The Lion King hitting cinemas.
