Billy Magnussen has just been added as a brand-new character in Disney’s live-action “Aladdin.”
The remake of the 1992 animation has already found its stars—Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine, and Will Smith as the Genie. Marwan Kenzari will be playing the role of Jafar.
Billy Magnussen in ‘Aladdin’
Billy Magnussen recently played a part in “Ingrid Goes West” together with Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen. He is known for his portrayal of the role of Rapunzel’s prince in “Into the Woods” by Rob Marshall.
The news of the brand-new character was first reported by Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old actor will join the ensemble of actors in Disney’s live-action “Aladdin” as Prince Anders, which is a newly created character.
There is no word yet on how Prince Anders will figure in the live-action adaptation, but there are some speculations that the prince will be Aladdin’s rival and one of Princess Jasmine’s suitors.
With his outstanding credential in the film industry—being a Tony nominee and all—Billy Magnussen brings a lot of musical experience in the table. He’s appeared on Broadway and he also plays guitar for the band Reserved for Rondee.
However, fans of the animated classic are not happy with Disney adding a white actor to the story.
‘Aladdin’ in the making
Guy Ritchie will be directing the film, which will draw inspiration from its animation film in 1992 and the folk tale “One Thousand and One Nights.” As for the script writing, John August, who was also the scriptwriter for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Big Fish” has been tasked.
According to Alan Menken, the composer of ‘Aladdin,’ the fans have nothing to worry about seeing their favorite childhood Disney animation come to life because they can expect good stuff. He added that the making of the film is a fluid process.
Menken said that Guy Ritchie has never directed a musical before, so there would be lots of attempts to reinvent the wheel.
According to Screen Rant, Billy Magnussen is the least of their concerns now and the pressure is on Ritchie now since the live-action musical has to somehow live up to the standards of “Beauty and the Beast.” However, the production of the up and coming Disney live-action adaptation has a splendid source material and a stellar cast, so they’ll have a better chance of avoiding film disasters.
“Aladdin” has no official release date yet and there are still plenty of roles to fill for the supporting cast. Fans will be waiting for the showing of their childhood Disney animation, just like they did on “Beauty and the Beast” and “Jungle Book” last year.
