Aladdin Filming Begins as the First Set Photo is Revealed

Walt Disney Pictures has announced that casting for Aladdin, the live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic, is complete and production is currently underway at Longcross Studios outside London. Check out the first photo from the Aladdin filming!

The Aladdin cast includes: Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (Ali, Men in Black) as the Genie who has the power to grant three wishes to whoever possesses his magic lamp; Mena Massoud (Amazon’s Jack Ryan) as Aladdin, the hapless but lovable street rat who is smitten with the Sultan’s daughter; Naomi Scott (Power Rangers) as Princess Jasmine, the Sultan’s beautiful daughter who wants to have a say in how she lives her life; Marwan Kenzari (Murder on the Orient Express) as Jafar, an evil sorcerer who devises a nefarious plot to unseat the Sultan and rule Agrabah himself; Navid Negahban (Homeland) as the Sultan, the ruler of Agrabah who is eager to find a proper husband for his daughter, Jasmine; Nasim Pedrad (Saturday Night Live) as Dalia, Princess Jasmine’s hand maiden and confidante; Billy Magnussen (Into the Woods) as Prince Anders, a suitor from Skanland and potential husband for Princess Jasmine; and Numan Acar (Homeland) as Hakim, Jafar’s right-hand man and head of the palace guards.

Aladdin is directed by Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) from a screenplay by John August (Dark Shadows, Big Fish) based on the 1992 animated film Aladdin and stories from “One Thousand and One Nights.” The producer is Dan Lin (The LEGO Movie) with Golden Globe winner Marc Platt (La La Land), Jonathan Eirich (Death Note) and Kevin De La Noy (The Dark Knight Rises) serving as executive producers. Eight-time Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid) provides the score, which includes new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Oscar-winning lyricists Howard Ashman (Little Shop of Horrors) and Tim Rice (The Lion King) as well as two new songs written by Menken and Oscar and Tony Award-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen).

Aladdin was nominated for five Academy Awards and won two, including Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “A Whole New World.” Based on the Middle-Eastern folktale Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, the 1992 animated film was co-directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, who had previously-directed The Little Mermaid and would go on to make other Disney classics, including Hercules, Treasure Planet, The Princess and the Frog, and Moana. It famously featured Robin Williams as the film’s genie, along with Scott Weinger as Aladdin, Jonathan Freeman as Jafar, Linda Larkin as Princess Jasmine, Frank Welker as Aladdin’s monkey pal Abu, plus Douglas Seale as The Sultan, and Gilbert Gottfried as Iago.

Aladdin joins a long list of live-action remakes by Disney of their classic animated films, including Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Pete’s Dragon, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mulan, Dumbo, and more.