Our Wish Is Granted! Aladdin Is Getting A Sequel!
Genie must have heard our wish because the live-action Aladdin film is getting a theatrical release sequel. The first live-action movie did extremely well at the box office, bringing in a whopping $1 billion worldwide, so it only makes sense that Disney would want to continue to share a whole new world with us.
Will Smith, Mena Massoud, and Naomi Scott will be reprising their amazing roles as Genie, Aladdin, and Princess Jasmine. Guy Ritchie is returning to direct the film, and producers Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich and executive producer Ryan Halprin are also attached to the project. With an outstanding all-star cast and a talented crew, Aladdin 2 is sure to take us on yet another phenomenal magic carpet ride.
Despite Aladdin making a ton of money at the box office, the critics of Rotten Tomatoes only gave it 57% on their Rotten Tomatometer. It’s rumored that in an attempt to please the critics, two new talented screenwriters have been hired to write the continuation of the Middle Eastern fairytale: Andrea Berloff and John Gatins. Berloff is best known for Straight Outta Compton, and Gatins is best known for Flight.
The Story
The writers have spent the last half-year figuring out what direction they want to take with the sequel. As far as the actual storyline goes, there will definitely be more Arabian nights and new horizons to pursue. But it won’t be based on either of the direct-to-video animated sequels, Aladdin: The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Instead, the sequel’s story will derive from one of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales collected during the Islamic Golden Age. Some of the stories include Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and the Seven Voyages of Sinbad.
What We’re Hoping For
The original live-action Aladdin left off with Aladdin and Princess Jasmine beginning their happily ever after, Jafar trapped as a genie in the Cave of Wonders, and a freed Genie, his wife, and two children sailing away. We hope the sequel will dive even deeper into Princess Jasmine’s character and take her on more heroic adventures.
We loved the development of Princess Jasmine’s character in the live-action film and the way she stood up for her right to not only choose her own husband but also to rule Agrabah. We loved how Princess Jasmine wasn’t afraid to get political and go where no princess has gone before. We hope the sequel will keep Princess Jasmine's fierce feminism (and include more power ballads along the way). We definitely don’t want our powerful princess to go speechless!
Closing Thoughts
There is no release date set in stone yet, but Disney does have an open slot for a live-action film on May 27, 2022. Since Aladdin was released on May 24, 2019, it makes sense that Disney would continue with the May release trend. This would also set Disney up for another diamond-in-the-rough summer blockbuster hit.