Aladdin

Disney has several live-action remakes in development, but two titles in particular have attracted a little extra attention: Aladdin and Mulan. Although pop culture is becoming increasingly socially conscious, Hollywood’s unfortunate history of whitewashing has left many (rightfully) concerned over the casting for both of these films, especially since the studio behind them doesn’t exactly have the best track record with diversity. And while Disney has made it clear that they’re committed to casting actors of relevant ethnicity in Aladdin and Mulan, a new report reveals that the studio is struggling to do so for at least one of those projects.

Is Tom Hardy doing OK? I mean, financially? After years of alternating between prestige films (The Revenant, Dunkirk) and more idiosyncratic projects (Legend, The Drop), Hardy seems to have accepted a streak of surprisingly mainstream blockbuster roles. After being attached to Ubisoft’s video game adaptation Splinter Cell for several years, Hardy recently shocked fans by accepting the title role in Sony’s Venom spinoff. And now, perhaps most surprising of all, is the rumor that Hardy is very close to signing on for the role of Jafar in Disney’s live-action Aladdin remake. At this point, maybe we should create a GoFundMe for whatever gambling debt Hardy seems to have racked up.

Get your Prince Ali mash-up memes ready because Will Smith might be taking on the role of the charismatic Genie in Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin. The studio was previously in talks with Smith to play the villain role in Tim Burton’s live-action Dumbo movie, and although those discussions ultimately fell apart, it looks as though Disney might be able to land the actor for a part in another one of their many, many, many live-action remakes.

Hey, are you between the ages of 18 and 25? Are you of Middle Eastern descent? Are you free from April of this year right on through to January 2018? Have you ever been described as ‘telegenic,’ and most importantly, can you hit a high C? Then good news, you have a solid shot at landing one of the starring roles in Guy Ritchie’s upcoming live-action Aladdin remake for Disney!

There’s been a lot of talk about whitewashing in the news lately, what with two big blockbusters, The Great Wall and the live-action Ghost in the Shell, poised to hit theaters soon. Disney has plans for both a live-action Mulan and Aladdin in the works, and the production of both will be scrutinized for how they handle casting. But not to worry, because the producer of Aladdin says the cast will be fittingly diverse for a movie set in the Middle East.

Over nearly 80 years, the 56 feature films from Walt Disney Animation Studios have become beloved and instantly recognizable their iconic fairy tales, memorable comic-relief sidekicks, terrifying villains, and some of the greatest songs in cinema history. This week heralds the release of Disney’s latest animated film, Moana, which boasts songs co-written by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. So there’s no better time to compile a list of the 25 best songs in animated Disney history — with a couple of important pre-list caveats. First, to avoid overloading the list with songs from only a few films, each movie here could only be represented by a maximum of two songs. Second, this list has films in the official Disney animation canon only, so nothing from Pixar or even The Nightmare Before Christmas. With that in mind, here’s the list!

In a bit of news that will make you say, “Huh? Why?” it looks like Guy Ritchie might be directing a live-action version of Disney’s Aladdin.

We’re not entirely sure why SNL decided to riff on Disney’s Aladdin in this week’s episode. It’s not like the 1992 animated movie has entered the national conversation again for some reason. If anything, this feels like someone on the writing staff rewatched the movie with his or her family over the show’s holiday break and came back with an idea or two. The result: the least timely parody you’ve ever seen! Although it is pretty funny and will appeal directly to those click-happy millennials.

It’s been over a year since Robin Williams’ shocking, heartbreaking suicide. His career has definitively ended, and his posthumous films Boulevard, A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, and Absolutely Anything have all come and gone from theaters. Robin Williams movies are no more, and a specific clause in the beloved comedian and actor’s last will and testament, as noted by the New York Post, will ensure that it stays that way.