Ok fine, I was suckered into humming “A Whole New World” while watching the new trailer for Disney’s upcoming live-action “Aladdin.” Disney probably expected a backlash to happen — after all, I hear they now have the technology to read our minds— when they decided to resurrect the late Robin Williams’ Genie by casting *gulp* Will Smith. The anger from fans was scathing. Nobody and I mean nobody would be happy with whomever took the task of replacing WIlliams as Genie, possibly the best voice acting in the history of animation.
However, what Disney didn’t expect was a meme epidemic happening before their very eyes, with Will Smith being compared to Tobias Funke from “Arrested Development,” Violet Beauregarde in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and a Smurf. It was quite simply magnifique.
Don’t get me wrong, “Aladdin” will still make a gazillion dollars at the Box-Office, plenty of parents will bring their kids to see it, nostalgia-driven millennials will make the trek as well, it’s all very predictable. Of course, I will be there, sitting at the press screening, quite possibly at the Boston Commons AMC, waiting to be impressed by the film, I want my low expectations to be exceeded, I really do. It could happen, no? I did just realize that Guy Ritchie is directing this, good God.
“Aladdin” will hit theaters May 24, 2019. Watch the official trailer here:
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