After a lot of struggling, the new 'Aladdin' remake has finally found its main cast.
It was recently reported that director Guy Ritchie was having some trouble in finding the perfect leads for his new film. But, it looks like after an ample search, things have finally taken a turn for the positive side.
Casting trouble
Just this week, reports surfaced stating that the new 'Aladdin' Live Action remake couldn't find the right actors to Play The Part of Jasmine and Aladdin, the film's stars.
The search for the cast of the movie led the filmmakers to audition more than 2000 people for the coveted roles.
Since 'Aladdin' has Middle Eastern and Arab roots, the producers of the film were looking to cast actors of Middle Eastern or Indian descent. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the production team went so far as to hold auditions in several places like London, Egypt, and India, in order to find the kind of talent they were looking for.
Some of the difficulty in finding the proper actors for each role was caused by the number of skills required by the film. Since 'Aladdin' will be a musical, the cast needs to not only have good acting skills but also singing and dancing abilities.
'Aladdin' cast is announced
Earlier today, at the D23 Expo held in Anaheim, California, it was announced that the remake has finally found its main stars.
Mena Massoud, an Egyptian Canadian actor, will play the role of Aladdin. Massoud recently starred in "Jack Ryan", a TV series about a "CIA analyst following a dangerous field assignment." His past work includes appearances in other shows like "Saving Hope", described as a "supernatural medical drama", and "Opean Heart", a drama involving mystery and romance.
Meanwhile, the part of Princess Jasmine will be played by British actress Naomi Scott. She's known for her role of Kimberly, the Pink Ranger in the new Power Ranger (2017) movie. Scott also starred as Maddy Shannon in "Terra Nova", a sci-fi series, and as Mohini in "Lemonade Mouth", a Disney Channel movie.
A few months ago, it was announced that famous actor Will Smith will lend his voice for the character of the Genie. Smith has some tough shoes to fill since the last person to play the part of the Genie was beloved actor Robin Williams, his portrayal of the character is considered iconic to this day.
Due to the trouble in finding the main cast, the production for the movie had to be delayed. Filming for the remake is set to start in August of 2017.