From a selfish point of view, that’s to give some sense of authenticity toward the narrative,” says Richie. This was influenced also - loosely and not so loosely - by the culture and the history of the greater region. What we wanted to do was represent a multicultural Agrabah of the past, present and future. It would just be lazy not to be sensitive to that in that environment… Our Agrabah is quasi-fantasy, informed by the greater region of the Middle East. “I think to a degree, once you embark on a project like this, there’s an inherent cultural authenticity that you want anyway. When kids around the world see it, they had to say, ‘Ooh I want to go there!’ Guy was absolutely in the same mind, and that was one of the things that was important for both of us,” says Smith.įor Ritchie, capturing the culture and history of the Middle East, even in a fantasy setting, was about telling a good story just as much as it was about being respectful. That was one of the things I was concerned about in my first meeting with Guy: It had to be a love letter to the region. It’s fantasy, and we wanted it to be as inclusive of the whole region as possible. “That was a heavy topic of discussion on the set. He told a crowded room of reporters in 2016 that, “Dubai dreams the way I dream.” And Smith says his top priority was representing the Arab world accurately and lovingly. Smith himself has a strong connection with the Arab world, regularly traveling with his family to the UAE. Naomi Scott, Mena Massoud and Guy Ritchie on the set of 'Aladdin.' (Image supplied) Will Smith, arguably the biggest movie star of his generation, would play the Genie. Though both Massoud and Scott were relative unknowns, authenticity and talent were more important than star power-and that philosophy carried on throughout casting, with one notable exception. Actions speak louder than words, and the best way to set an example is to just go out and do a good job.” ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() “At the end of the day, I just wanted to do a good job. “I definitely felt the responsibility,” he tells Arab News. Massoud, who grew up with a strong connection to his Egyptian roots, is conscious that he is representing the Arab world in one of cinema’s most-anticipated films ever. After open casting calls in 15 countries, Disney chose Egyptian-Canadian actor Mena Massoud to play Aladdin, and the British-Indian actress Naomi Scott for the role of Princess Jasmine. With “Aladdin” - which hits GCC cinemas on May 23 - there was an opportunity to do more than just pay tribute to one of the jewels in Disney’s crown to make a film that fits the progressive sensibilities of a different era, paying greater respect to the people and history of the Arab world.Įnlisting Guy Ritchie as director, Disney embarked on a long search to, first and foremost, find actors who actually represented the region that the film, set in a fictional kingdom in the Middle East called Agrabah, portrayed. With each of Disney’ high-profile live-action remakes of some of its biggest properties, including The Jungle Book (2016) Beauty and the Beast (2017) and the upcoming Lion King (2019), the question has been what these films could accomplish beyond being a tribute to the originals. It was the first of Disney’s films to capture the Middle East on a grand scale since 1932’s animated short “Mickey of Arabia.” It was the first animated film to take in $500 million at the box office - a record for an animated film which “The Lion King” surpassed two years later. DUBAI: The 1992 animated classic “Aladdin” was one of Disney’s most influential hits.
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