After auditioning thousands, Disney is still struggling to cast leads for its live-action reboot of “Aladdin.”
Director Guy Ritchie put out a worldwide casting call in March and has auditioned about 2,000 people for the roles of Jasmine and Aladdin, but still hasn’t settled on a Middle Eastern male in his 20s who can dance and sing for the role, according to The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/aladdin-movie-disney-struggles-find-stars-1019690
Production on the movie was supposed to begin in July, but after several rounds of testing in London, a lead has yet to be identified. The studio reportedly had interest in Dev Patel and Riz Ahmed, but now thinks the character will be played by a newcomer, THR reported.
Naomi Scott (“Power Rangers”) and Indian actress Tara Sutaria are top contenders for the role of Jasmine, but the studio won’t make the final choice until the male lead is chosen because it wants to be sure there will be chemistry between them, THR reported.
Cinemablend reported that Will Smith has been tapped to play the Genie, and is also looking for a named actor to play Jafar. Tom Hardy had been rumored as a potential choice for the villain, but no decision has been announced officially.
Disney hopes to start production on “Aladdin” in August, if a suitable Aladdin can be found. For now, Ritchie and others are going back through audition tapes to try to see if they missed someone who would be perfect in the role.
Twitter followers suggested Avan Jogia (“Victorious”) for the role in large numbers, and wondered if Disney secretly wanted a non-ethnic actor for the role.