Is Disney sticking by the all new, very blue Genie?
Or is the House of Mouse already denouncing its own creation?
The company kept quiet after the internet completely torched Will Smith following the
newest live-action Aladdin trailer drop, but now, Disney has come forward to address the
blue Genie debacle.
It wasn't long ago that Disney summoned up the second trailer for its upcoming live-action
remake of Aladdin, an updated version of the 1992 animated classic from director Guy Ritchie.
But the very vocal response to the trailer from online viewers may have caught studio
executives off guard — especially the reaction to the Genie reveal money shot.
Some people must have liked it, but the consensus seemed clear:
"Terrible…"
In addition to the new face of the Genie, the sneak peeks of movie have brought audiences
their first glimpses of fresh-faced actor Mena Massoud as Aladdin, the scrappy street
rat who sweeps a royal princess off her feet with the help of a few white lies and a magic
flying carpet.
That princess, Jasmine, is being played by Naomi Scott, who you may recognize from the
cast of the 2017 Power Rangers movie.
The previews for the movie have also offered looks at the fictional city of Agrabah, as
well as a glimpse of Marwan Kenzari as the movie's nefarious Grand Vizier, Jafar.
Perhaps most recognizable is the glittering Cave of Wonders, and the ever-important golden
lamp that sits within it.
But, much to many peoples' dismay, the most terrifying image from the second sneak peek
is a brief, kind of I can never unsee that moment of actor Will Smith as the Genie a
blue-skinned magical being who looks... um… bluer in real-life than anyone could have
thought possible.
Viewer responses were not great.
"I HATE IT!"
After the internet dragged Smith and the remake's new Genie look, Disney kept quiet.
What might happen, now that the company knew people were rejecting this important investment?
Would they address the hate, or keep their lips sealed until the movie came out?
Could they tweak their approach to the Genie, maybe by making him look a little bit more
real?
That remains to be seen.
But for now, the company has come forward to at least address the big blue Genie debacle.
In a statement released to USA Today, a little over a week after the second teaser saw release,
Disney defended Smith's Genie in broad terms without getting into the specifics of viewers'
shocked reactions.
Reactions that ranged from "that looks scary," or "that looks fake," to...
"Wow, that's… so gross."
The company attempted to beat the bad buzz by affirming its confidence in both the new
interpretation of the Genie character, and the live-action Aladdin project as a whole.
The statement read,
"We have one of the most anticipated films of the year and are confident that audiences
will fall in love with the Genie and all of the characters when it hits the big screen
this May."
It's not exactly a shocker that Disney is sticking to its guns with Smith's Genie.
It'd be more surprising if they actually agreed with the criticism.
What else are they supposed to do, cancel the movie?
"What?
No.
I mean, maybe."
Despite the lousy first reactions to one of the film's main characters, there's plenty
of Aladdin that we've simply yet to see meaning there's also hope that the Genie could work
just fine in context so long as people are still willing to give the movie a shot.
But considering all the skepticism in the air around these teasers, that's no guarantee.
Whether audiences are hype for it or not, the film's creative team is likely putting
all available resources into ensuring the live-action Aladdin is as shining, shimmering,
and splendid as it possibly can be.
It's just a project with a lot to live up to especially for Smith, taking over a role
first embodied by the late, larger-than-life Robin Williams.
It's possible that audiences were going to judge Smith harshly no matter what approach
the filmmakers took, holding his performance to a high standard whether the effects looked
flawless or not.
The former Fresh Prince has enormous shoes to fill, but you can't say that he's not trying.
As he said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly,
"...I got to sing, I got to rap, I got to dance, I got to do action sequences — it
was everything that I've trained and learned how to do over the last 30 years of entertainment
and I got to it use all in playing the Genie."
Maybe the Genie's weird looks will keep people from getting on board with the remake.
Or maybe the world will be as charmed as Princess Jasmine on a magic carpet ride.
To find out what happens, we'll simply have to wait until Aladdin arrives in theaters
on May 24.
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