Get your Prince Ali mash-up memes ready because Will Smith might be taking on the role of the charismatic Genie in Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin. The studio was previously in talks with Smith to play the villain role in Tim Burton’s live-action Dumbo movie, and although those discussions ultimately fell apart, it looks as though Disney might be able to land the actor for a part in another one of their many, many, many live-action remakes.
If you’ve ever wondered what a Tim Burton movie starring Will Smith would look like, you might find out relatively soon. The actor is reportedly circling a role in Disney’s live-action remake of Dumbo, which Burton has been attached to direct for some time now. After delivering the disappointing one-two punch of Suicide Squad and Collateral Beauty, Smith sure could use a win, and joining Disney’s growing empire of live-action remakes seems like a pretty safe bet.
It seemed inevitable that the trend of TV revivals would eventually reach The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and indeed, some confusion erupted when Will Smith’s production company began development of a suspiciously-similar fish-out-of-water story. That never came to pass, but thankfully Smith now says he’d only consider a Fresh Prince revival “when hell freezes over.”
It's my favorite time of year. It's awards season in Hollywood, and the studios are releasing their best projects of the year in the hope of being recognized. I'll be spending a ton of time over the holidays catching up on media screenings, but I can already tell you Concussion starring Will Smith and Joy starring Jennifer Lawrence (both based on true stories) will be hard to beat...