The Ultimate Guide to Aladdin Read online

  “We went down into the bazaar in Marrakech, and I took lots of photographs”

  —Tina Jones

  Master Choreographer

  Choreographer Jamal Sims studied Arabic dancing to help create the language of the choreographed numbers. “It was important to Disney that all of the departments do research into the Arabic culture,” says Sims. “I wanted to keep it fresh and put out something that felt original as well.”

  “We had horses that were choreographed. We had camels that were walking in time”

  —Jamal Sims

  75 Golden Camels

  Sims used plastic figures to help plan the immense “Prince Ali” dance number, which included more than 250 dancers and plenty of nonhuman performers. “We had horses that were choreographed,” Sims says. “We had camels that were walking in time.”

  The Director

  Q & A

  GUY RITCHIE

  THE DIRECTOR OF GRITTY REIMAGININGS LIKE KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD AND SHERLOCK HOLMES TAKES ON ANOTHER LANDMARK CHARACTER: ALADDIN. By Amy Wilkinson

  Guy Ritchie (left) and Mena Massoud

  On the surface Aladdin doesn’t seem like the typical Guy Ritchie film. Why was this project so appealing?

  Principally because I have five children. The films I spend the majority of my time watching are family films, and because of that, it just feels very of my moment to be immersed in family films. My kids spent quite a lot of time on the set. I can tell you that they know every word to every song in this movie already.

  For fans of the animated original, how would you say your approach differs?

  Filmmaking seems to have gotten more complex, and audiences seem to demand more from a film than they did in 1992. So they need more challenges and more stimulation than they needed back then—and they seem to be more efficient in processing that stimulation. I wanted to honor the efforts of the old and find something that was contemporary enough to keep audiences excited and guessing.

  Was part of that process adding new characters, like Dalia and Prince Anders?

  We wanted to know more about the outer world of Jasmine and the inner world, so we created two characters. One was a friend of Jasmine’s, Dalia, which allowed us to explain how Jasmine works and to give her a more rounded voice. Prince Anders we created so we can understand the official challenges of her life.

  Did you always know how you would depict Will Smith’s blue Genie?

  I felt as though unless there was a good reason to change certain fundamental components that are intrinsic to the original animated films, I wasn’t going to change them. I was happy with the genie being blue; I never wanted the genie to be anything else other than blue.

  How did you and Will go about crafting a new take on such a beloved character?

  That was really a question of Will and me sitting down for quite a long period of time and recognizing the size of the challenge that we had in front of us, and, between us, trying to find a genie that would speak in the vernacular of now but simultaneously hold on to the essence of what the genie was. Will Smith brings his own charisma into this equation, and once we found a rhythm, once we found a groove, we were off to the races.

  You made use of several cultural advisers on-set. What sorts of conversations did you have with them?

  What we were trying to do was create an imagined world, but it felt as though its roots needed to be based in some form of authentic culture. So I would lean on them in order for us to try to find the sweet spot between an imagined world and an authentic cultural representation. They were there to go, “You know, I think you’ve gone too far here” or “You haven’t gone far enough there.”

  Looking back, what was your biggest challenge in making Aladdin?

  Probably the casting. We looked for over a year on every continent that exists on the planet [for Princess Jasmine and Aladdin]. We had to feel as though we had the right characters to represent what it is that we were reaching for. It’s hard to describe exactly what those characteristics are, but when we found it, we knew it.

  Meet the Cast

  Friends of a Feather

  THE STARS OF ALADDIN FOUND CAMARADERIE ON THE SET OF DISNEY’S GRAND ADVENTURE. By Joe McGovern and Amy Wilkinson

  Prince Ali’s fabulous coterie arrives at the sultan’s palace in high style.

  ALADDIN

  FROM PERFORMING SOME OF HIS OWN STUNTS TO LEARNING TO PLAY THE OUD, MENA MASSOUD WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO MAKE HIS LIVE-ACTION HERO SPECIAL—BUT THE ROCK-STAR CHARM CAME NATURALLY. By Joe McGovern

  Mena Massoud

  IT’S WHEN ACTOR MENA MASSOUD smiles, flashing a megawatt grin of pure wonderment at the world, that you understand how he beat out hundreds of other actors for the title role in Aladdin. Born in Egypt and raised outside Toronto, the 27-year-old comes from a family of doctors and pharmacists and—though he played Peter Pan in a school production—he briefly studied neuroscience in college. Massoud spoke about the experience of getting inside Aladdin’s head.

  There was a long, extensive search to find the actor who would play Aladdin. What do you think clinched it for you?

  I think Disney realized they needed a strong actor who could sing and dance, not vice versa. So here I knew exactly what I was giving them, and they knew what they were getting.

  But when you were cast, you must have realized how much work it would be?

  You know, I found out that I got cast on, like, a Wednesday, and that Friday I was flying to London. Right away it was dance rehearsals, vocal training, juggling, learning to play the oud, which is a classical Middle Eastern string instrument, a lot of sitting down with Guy Ritchie to talk about the script. I trained with a personal trainer, because there is quite a heavy amount of stunt work in this film.

  So you’re doing real stunts in the film?

  For sure. People are going to realize when they see Aladdin that we only used CGI when we had to. We went to Jordan to get the incredible desert shots. We built Jafar’s lair and Jasmine’s chambers and Aladdin’s tower home. All of that is real. We filmed a whole sequence underwater, so I had to learn how to equalize 18 feet down. I’d have divers feed me oxygen and then swim out of the way so we could get the shot.

  What’s your first memory of the original movie?

  I was a little baby in Egypt the first time I saw it. When I got older, it remained one of the only Disney films that I could personally relate to. It featured characters who represented my culture. And Robin Williams was one of the first actors that made me want to be an actor. His performance in the original . . . it’s an inspiration.

  It’s been a nice moment for actors of Egyptian heritage, with Rami Malek winning an Oscar in February.

  That was amazing. But we’re still fighting to represent ethnic cultures and artists onscreen. I remember just a few years ago watching Exodus: Gods and Kings, a story about Moses and Ramses, and nobody in the main cast is ethnic. Aladdin has one of the most diverse casts ever made at any studio. I’m Egyptian, Marwan [Kenzari] is Tunisian, Naomi [Scott] is half Indian, Navid [Negahban] is Iranian. And we all grew up all over the world, in the Netherlands and England and Germany and Canada. The experience was extra special for me because I knew we were doing it right.

  We’ll see you and Naomi on the magic carpet singing “A Whole New World.” Can you put that experience into words?

  Oh, man. First, it’s one of the greatest love songs ever written. It just is. And it was the most important thing for us to get that right. Because the movie’s all about relationships and what connected me and Naomi more deeply than anything was this journey we were going on together. We’re at similar moments in our lives, where this movie is the biggest thing we’ve ever done. And so filming that sequence was a very special moment for both of us personally and emotionally as well. We were living in that moment for real.

  JASMINE

  AS A CHILD, SINGER AND ACTRESS NAOMI SCOTT ADORED ALADDIN’S HEROINE. NOW SHE HAS A CHANCE TO INSPIRE A WHOLE NEW GENERA
TION OF GIRLS WITH HER SPIRITED TAKE ON THE OUTSPOKEN ROYAL. By Joe McGovern

  Naomi Scott

  BORN IN LONDON IN 1993, NAOMI SCOTT IS the only member of Aladdin’s main cast who wasn’t alive when the animated film came out in 1992. But that didn’t stop Scott and her older brother from playing as the characters—though back then little Naomi always took the part of Aladdin’s monkey-buddy Abu. These many years later, Scott is onscreen as the resilient, feisty Princess Jasmine, and the singer-actress (who starred in 2017’s Power Rangers and will also be seen this year in the movie reboot of Charlie’s Angels) talked about her respect for the character and the power of speaking out.

  Did you have a favorite Disney princess when you were a kid?

  There were three that really stuck out for me: Pocahontas, Mulan and Jasmine. Their personalities and their strength were why I loved them, but when you’re a little girl, the idea of seeing female characters that you could actually play yourself was so powerful. It sounds simple, but on a foundational level that was really impactful for me.

  Were you able to harness some of those feelings when you auditioned for this part?

  Yeah. My first audition was a scene where Jasmine is dressing down a suitor. And in that exchange, I told myself, “She’s not angry, she’s just above it all.” Obviously Jasmine grows and learns over the arc of the film, but I wanted to give her a base level of maturity. What’s wonderful is that Disney and Guy Ritchie were also totally down for that. We all wanted a Jasmine who’s a bit more empowered and nuanced.

  That’s the advantage of live action, right? You got to humanize her.

  Absolutely. And not only Jasmine. Look at Jafar. The sharp features and the cackling evil worked perfectly in the original version, but here he’s much more of the snake in the grass. And Marwan [Kenzari] just smashes it. And Jasmine’s dad, the sultan, I mean, he’s lovable in the animation, but there was a silliness and a naivete to him. Here there’s such depth and soul in Navid [Negahban]’s performance. He brought us all to tears. Even Guy!

  Can you describe being on the set?

  It was so extravagant, it was overwhelming. Our production designer Gemma Jackson is an amazing genius, which we all told her every day. She built an entire town, with streets and a marketplace. The throne room looked like you were seeing a CGI effect in real life. Actually I couldn’t help myself, and I kept sneaking little kids from outside onto the set.

  Oh, did you?

  It just felt like such a waste if we couldn’t have kids come in to enjoy it. This one little girl was so scrumptious, and I gave her a tour. The magic came alive for me when I saw the absolute wonder in her eyes.

  Did Will Smith offer any words of wisdom about the experience you were having?

  At the beginning of the production, I had my head down, trying to learn my lines, and Will came to me and Mena [Massoud], and he kept hammering on to us, “You guys are Jasmine and Aladdin! Do you understand what that means?” He didn’t want us to forget how special this opportunity was. I’m so grateful to him for that.

  Aladdin is going to be seen by millions of little girls around the world. What do you want them to learn from Jasmine?

  That having courage and speaking out against injustice is incredibly important, even if you think you’re losing. There’s a point in the film when Jasmine speaks out against Jafar and she faces a setback as a result—but that’s really important for girls to see. You might get knocked down in the moment, but that should never stop you from speaking out.

  GENIE

  HE’S GOT MORE CHARISMA THAN ANY MAGIC LAMP COULD EVER HOPE TO CONTAIN. WILL SMITH BROUGHT A FRESH APPROACH TO HIS STARRING TURN AS THE LEGENDARY WISH-GRANTER. By Joe McGovern

  WITH ONE RUB OF A MAGIC LAMP IN DISNEY’S original Aladdin, movies changed forever. Though Genie doesn’t appear onscreen until past the half-hour mark, Robin Williams’s voice performance was a shot of pure irreverent joy for children and adults alike. For the live-action film, another American icon, often named the world’s most bankable movie star, emerges from that immortal blue puff of smoke. Will Smith, 50, talks about putting his spin on a classic role.

  You’ve pointed out that even though Genie doesn’t have feet, Robin Williams left some big shoes to fill.

  Totally. Robin redefined what an actor could do in animation. Aladdin was set in a long-ago period but there was Robin, freestyling and making all these modern pop-culture references. We really can’t forget how revolutionary that was at the time. So, yeah, I did experience some sheer, excruciating terror in being asked to play the genie.

  Was there a turning point when you realized it could work?

  Actually, I hadn’t even signed up yet, but I was meeting to discuss the movie, and we went into the recording studio. We were talking about “Friend Like Me,” the genie’s big number, and I started thinking about a ’70s song by the Honey Drippers called “Impeach the President,” which was a big influence on hip-hop drums in the early days. And I was like, “Hey, let’s try these drums. Let’s grab that kick snare and high hat and put those in there.” So I ended up recording a new version of “Friend Like Me” in one session that day. And after that I was like, “You know what, I’m gonna play the genie.”

  Given your background, it’s amazing that this is your first musical film.

  Man, that was a real treat. Now I don’t want to do anything else. Artistically it was one of the greatest experiences of my acting career. I get to sing, dance, rap, do comedy, do drama, do action, work with special effects, all intertwined. And the way [director] Guy Ritchie set it up with the music, I could go and record a piece of song and take it right over to the animators, and they’d draw something up. Then I could go back into the studio and make an adjustment. Just like that.

  Can we expect some updated cultural references in your performance?

  Oh, yeah. I knew there was room to both quench the nostalgic thirst of the audience while also creating something new and putting my signature on the role. There’s a whole lot of modern, urban silliness in my Genie.

  Your younger costars have said that you reminded them to feel the moment. Why was that important advice to give?

  You know, it’s easy to just get lost in the haze of working. I know that. I don’t have a lot of memories from Independence Day, because I would be so tired and so focused on the next thing. Now I can’t even access the warmth of those memories. So a lot of times on the Aladdin set, I would say, “Everybody stop. Just take a moment and look where we are right now. Look at this desert. Let’s be thankful that we’re all working and doing something we love.”

  That must have been huge for Naomi Scott and Mena Massoud to hear that from you.

  Well, Aladdin is one of those films that’s the emotional bedrock for people’s childhood memories. I just wanted them to remember that, the size and the scope of that. I call it the Halloween-costume test. There are going to be so many Aladdins and Jasmines running around on Halloween. They’re gonna be those characters for generations.

  JAFAR

  MARWAN KENZARI EMBRACED HIS ROLE AS THE SORCEROUS VIZIER. TO HELP HIM GET INTO CHARACTER, HE FOUND INSPIRATION IN A MUSICAL LEGEND. By Joe McGovern

  Marwan Kenzari

  IN THE SUMMER OF 2017 JAFAR BROKE THE Internet. When Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari (Murder on the Orient Express, The Promise) was cast as Aladdin’s slithery nemesis, the announcement caused an outbreak of “Hot Jafar” posts, all replete with photos of the actor’s chiseled physique and strong jawline. But Kenzari, 36, who was born in The Hague to Tunisian parents, also boasts classic theatrical training and a rich knowledge of cinema, music and art—evidenced by which singer’s spirit he channeled during his Aladdin audition (see below). Isn’t it always the smart ones who make the best bad guys?

  You were 9 years old when the original 1992 Aladdin was released. Was the movie a big part of your life back then? And what did you think of Jafar?

  Oh, of course. I grew up with it. I watched the original movie, an
d I played a lot of the Aladdin video games that came out at the time. And it’s funny to think back now— when I obviously hated Jafar, who was such a dark, looming figure—because I was rooting for Aladdin.

  Have your feelings about him changed a little?

  I think so. Yeah, he is a brutal and sinister character, but in my career I’ve played people who actually existed, and it’s given me a better perspective. You have to understand that Jafar is quite a lonely and unhappy man, which makes him extremely tense and angry. So of course he’s up to no good.

  Apart from how much fun it is to play the villain, what else attracted you to the project?

  It was something about the combination of Disney and Guy Ritchie. I thought that was very clever. And I could tell that Disney and Guy both had the goal to make a film that was respectful toward the 1992 version but that also has something authentic to say about now, here in the year 2019.

  Just as you were the perfect age to enjoy the original Aladdin, you were also a young teenager when Guy Ritchie began making movies.

  Wow, I mean, what can I say? His movie posters were in my bedroom as a young man. Before I knew I wanted to be an actor, I knew I loved Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. And then, on the set, I was in awe of working with him, but he made me so completely relaxed. Will Smith too is this huge movie star who’s also such a kind and humble man. We all spent seven months filming together, and it all went by in a flash.

  You have a strong theater background, and your very first audition was, like Aladdin, a musical.

  That is true. I was always talking to my girlfriend at school about films that I loved and actors that I loved, so she signed me up for an audition. And that was an amateur production of the musical Chicago.