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Aladdin live action movie: Release date, cast and director of Disney remake

11 February 2019, 17:47 | Updated: 11 February 2019, 17:50

So what do we know about the Aladdin cast and director so far? and when is it released?

Disney have dropped the first full trailer for the their live-action remake of Aladdin, after releasing the first pictures of Will Smith back in December.

The minute-long featurette sees Will Smith star as The Genie, alongside newcomers Naomi Scott and Mena Massed as Princess Jasmine and Aladdin.

Fans of the original 1994 version, which starred the late Robin Williams, will be happy to know the film still has all of the iconic songs such as 'Arabian nights', 'Prince Ali' and 'A Whole New World'.

So what do we know about the Aladdin cast and director so far? and when is it released?

We have everything you need to know...

When is the Aladdin remake released?

The film is set to hit cinemas in the US May 24, 2019. A release date for the UK is yet to be announced.

Will Smith as The Genie

Will Smith is set to take on the role made famous by the late Robin Williams. Speaking about the pressure of filling such big shoes, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air actor claims he would be adding his own flavour to the character.

“Whenever you’re doing things that are iconic, it’s always terrifying,” Smith told Entertainment Weekly in the Wednesday report.

“The question is always: Where was there meat left on the bone? Robin didn’t leave a lot of meat on the bone with the character.”

I started to feel confident that I could deliver something that was an homage to Robin Williams but was musically different,” Smith said. “Just the flavor of the character would be different enough and unique enough that it would be in a different lane, versus trying to compete.”

Not everyone has been pleased with Will's interpretation so far, with many fans taking to Twitter to mock his the visual effects that make him blue.

"It turns out that Will Smith's Aladdin Genie will haunt my nightmares," tweeted one user.

Another added: "I'll never sleep again and it's all Will Smith's fault."

Who plays Aladdin?

Disney have stuck with tradition and chosen unknown face, Mena Massoud to play Aladdin.

The -year-old actor was born in Egypt, but moved to Ontario, Canada as a child. This is Mena's break out movie role, but he has starred alongside John Krasinksi, in Amazon’s big-budget thriller series Tom Clancy late last year.

He also played Jared Malik in Open Heart, and he has also appeared in Nikita and Saving Hope.

Who plays Jasmine?

English actress, Naomi Scott has been cast as Princess Jasmine. However, her casting didn't come without controversy.

The casting of the Power Rangers star, who is of both English and Indian heritage, was criticised by those who believe the role should have gone to an Arab actress.