The first full “image” of Will Smith in the upcoming live-action Aladdin has surfaced. It’s just a piece of promo art but fans can see how the Fresh Prince will look like the iconic blue genie.
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Originally posted by @la_stregatta_lina, the art clearly shows Smith in full character. The drawing is part of a set of Mugs Disney will release in conjunction with the film. Fans were dismayed last year when Entertainment Weekly released a cover featuring the new cast, but Smith was noticeably not blue. Moviegoers finally get a hint of how the beloved character will appear onscreen.
The role is synonymous with Robin Williams, and it will be difficult for Smith to fill those shoes. In the aforementioned EW cover story, Smith stated:
“Whenever you’re doing things that are iconic, it’s always terrifying,” Smith said. “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. I started to feel confident that I could deliver something that was an homage to Robin Williams but was musically different. Just the flavor of the character would be different enough and unique enough that it would be in a different lane, versus trying to compete.”
It’s difficult to put ones mark on such a defining character. For Instance, Heath Ledger had to prove himself in the role of the Joker. Likewise, Jason Momoa tried to step in for Arnold in Conan but failed miserably. It seems like Smith has the look down, but it might not be enough.
Directed by Guy Richie, the live-action adaptation of Aladdin hits theaters on May 24th, 2019. Although Richie has proven himself many a time over, he has a large undertaking before him. With the live-action remake of Lion King slated for July of 2019, and Avengers: Endgame filling screens in April, Disney probably has a monster Summer on their hands.
