Details about the first footage from the live-action ‘Aladdin’ film from Disney.
Surprisingly, the live-action version of Disney’s Aladdin appears to be much further along in production than anyone realized. The studio debuted a lengthy behind-the-scenes look at the film, including it’s stars Naomi Scott and Mena Massoud, during their presentation at CinemaCon on Tuesday, April 24. However, the most exciting bit of footage included various different looks of Will Smith as the iconic Genie! No, he’s not blue — but he’s a full of life scene-stealer who will definitely be a standout when the film is released in May 2019.
Aladdin’s footage can only be described properly in two words: colorful and vibrant. The sets were built from the ground up, and everything from the merchant stands to the costumes and more pop out at you from the screen. We also learned that Princess Jasmine’s character has been enhanced, with Naomi revealing she’s a much more stronger character with a voice she definitely fights for to be heard. Mena’s Aladdin is charismatic and exciting to watch, especially as he’s running through the market and bouncing off of awning tops while being chased by guards. We also saw a very, very quick glimpse of him in his all-white ensemble which was pretty cool!
Disney also surprised CinemaCon with premiere footage from two more live-action films: Dumbo and The Lion King. While Tim Burton ‘s version of Dumbo promises to be a very unique experience, as most of his films are, we learned that Dumbo’s story will start with him flying when the movie opens — not end with it, as it does in the animated version. Dumbo will hit theaters in March 2019.
Last but certainly not least was The Lion King. Disney closed out their presentation by debuting the iconic opening scene of The Lion King, with the sun rising and the animals making their way to Pride Rock. Then we see Rafiki meeting baby Simba, splashing the colored powder across his forehead and picking him up to debut him to the kingdom. We were warned that this footage was a very early cut and not finished, but it looked flawless and left the entire CinemaCon audience very excited! The Lion King is out in July 2019.
Continue to stay tuned to HollywoodLife for ALL things CinemaCon as we cover live from Las Vegas throughout the week. It’s sure to be jam-packed with lots of movie news to share!
