Disney's had a string of hits with live-action remakes of their animated classics. The Jungle Book was an Oscar winner, and Beauty and the Beast is the biggest movie of 2017 so far. Next up is Aladdin, my personal favorite from their late '80s/early '90s renaissance.
Production is underway in London, with the cast finally in place. Will Smith will take over for Robin Williams' iconic performance, with Mena Massoud in the title roll. Naomi Scott (Power Rangers) will play Jasmine and Nasim Pedrad (Saturday Night Live) will play her handmaiden. David Neghaban (Homeland) as the Sultan, with Marwan Kenzari (Murder on the Orient Express) stars as the villainous Jafar. Billy Magnussen (Into the Woods) was announced this week as a new character, Prince Anders.
Aladdin is directed by Guy Ritchie (Snatch, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) with a screenplay by John August (Dark Shadows, Big Fish). Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken returns as composer, with new songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen), in addition to the classic songs by Tim Rice and Howard Ashman.
About Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about.
I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague.
Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work.
In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo.
I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.
