Disney having hard time finding an actor to play Aladdin in its live-action remake
Disney is struggling to find the perfect actor to play Aladdin in their live-action remake.
The studio had a global casting call for both the parts of Aladdin and Jasmine, with casting directors spread in London, Egypt, Abu Dhabi and India, in the search for actors of Middle-Eastern or Indian descent, as the Independent reports.
Approximately 2,000 have read for the roles of Aladdin and Jasmine, but Disney can’t seem to find someone to play Aladdin that has both acting and singing abilities. Since the original casting call specified a July start date for production, the search for the right actor may be causing delays.
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Meanwhile, actresses Naomi Scott and Tara Sutaria are favourites for the part of Jasmine, the studio can’t cast any of them without finding their Aladdin, since chemistry is the key, as sources say. Disney has shown interest in Dev Patel and Riz Ahmed, but it is more possible that the role will be given to a newcomer, bigger names being reserved to play supporting roles (like Will Smith, who signed up to play the Genie).
At the moment, still in the running are Dutch actor Achraf Koutet, Canadian actor Mena Massoud, and American actor George Kosturos. Disney is not unfamiliar with lengthy casting processes, as it went through similar periods of time to find Cinderella’s Lily James and The Force Awakens‘ Daisy Ridley.
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