Guy Ritchie's live-action remake of 'Aladdin' will be a "highly energised musical".
Guy Ritchie
The 48-year-old filmmaker is set to take on directorial duties for the remake of the classic 1992 animated Disney feature, and Sean Bailey, the president of Motion Picture Production for Walt Disney Studios, has said the project is set to be unlike anything Disney has ever done before.
Speaking to Vulture.com, Sean said of the movie: "Guy became interested in doing a Disney movie and we talked a lot about it. When we talked about 'Aladdin', he said, 'My stories are really about street hustlers. That's what I know how to do. And Aladdin is a classic street hustler who makes good.' Guy's got his own version of that story in his life. But he wanted to honour and respect the Disney of it all. We never want to feel like we have a playbook to these things because we worry it'll make us creatively complacent. The idea of a highly energised Guy Ritchie Disney musical felt like, 'Oh, we haven't done that before.'"
Guy was announced as the director for the project earlier this month, after a casting call was posted online searching for actors to take on the role of the titular street rat and the female protagonist Jasmine.
The post read: "The Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures live-action adventure musical feature film 'Aladdin' will be casting two unknown newcomers to play the lead roles of Aladdin and Jasmine. BAFTA Award winner Dan Lin is producing the film, and he has stated that the director will be looking to cast newcomers in the major roles of Aladdin and Jasmine, and that they will be discovering new people that must have acting and singing abilities. Filming will take place in London and all talent must have legal eligibility requirements to work in the United Kingdom in the entertainment industry.
"MTV Movie Awards winner Guy Ritchie will be directing 'Aladdin' from an adapted screenplay written by Grammy Award nominee John August based on the animated classic, about a street urchin who vies for the love of a beautiful princess, and uses a genie's magic power to make himself off as a prince in order to marry her.
"Max Keene will co-produce with Dan Lin. Lin Pictures president Jonathan Eirich will serve as executive producer."
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