Billy Magnussen (The Big Short, Ingrid Goes West) has been cast as a character named Prince Anders, who definitely wasn't in the 1992 Aladdin or in, as The Independentpoints out, the original Aladdin and the Magic Lamp folk story didn't include any white character either.
In 1992's original animated Aladdin, the same character was known as Prince Achmed. Prince Anders is similarly the only character not portrayed by an actor of colour in the reboot.
The decision to cast Billy Magnussen as an entirely new character not seen in the original film also drew criticism from fans. Some viewed the creation of his character as unnecessary, while others even accused the film of whitewashing, since Magnussen is white.
While the voice cast of the 1992 movie was entirely white, the live-action film boasts a diverse cast. Mena Massoud, who plays Aladdin, was born in Cairo, Naomi Scott (Jasmine) is of Anglo-Indian descent, Numan Acar (Hakim) is Turkish, and Nasim Pedrad (Dalia) and Navid Negahban (The Sultan) are Iranian.
Disney Fans ANGRY Over White Character in 'Aladdin' Movie -JS
Is Princess Jasmine Arab or Indian?
Princess Jasmine, a fictional character from Disney's animated film "Aladdin," is not explicitly identified as Indian in the movie. Instead, she is depicted as a resident of the fictional city of Agrabah, which is often seen as a blend of Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures and influences.
She has olive skin, high cheekbones, brown eyes with full eyelashes, and straight, lush hair reaching her thighs. Jasmine's casual outfit was designed to be simple, resembling that of Arabian Harem women.
Galland's tale isn't even set in the Middle East - it's actually set in a Chinese city, and Aladdin is not an orphan but a poor Chinese boy living with his mother, with the only other location mentioned in the story being Maghreb, North Africa, where the sorcerer is from.
On Oct. 15, Disney Plus introduced a new disclaimer that appears before older films like Dumbo (1941) and Aladdin (1992), warning viewers that the films include harmful stereotypes. The new message replaces the one that came with the original launch of Disney Plus late last year.
Robin only refused to come back for the second Aladdin movie because he had issues with Disney stemming from the way his Genie character was advertised in the first movie, (which he told the company not to do when he agreed to do the voice and they didn't listen).
Naomi Scott is a multi-talented actor, singer, and songwriter. She stars as "Jasmine" in Disney's blockbuster live-action remake Aladdin (2019), alongside Mena Massoud and Will Smith, directed by Guy Ritchie.
Disney has confirmed that several actors on the set of the live-action “Aladdin” adaptation had their skin darkened as a way to “blend in” better in the background— but only because they were actually part of the crew.
The latest news surrounding Disney's upcoming live-action “Aladdin” movie is anything but magical. The mass media company admitted to BBC Newsbeat that extras working on the movie's set in Longcross, England, were darkened with makeup so they could “blend” into the scenes for the movie.
Nasira is the main antagonist of the 2001 Disney videogame Aladdin: Nasira's Revenge. She is Jafar's fraternal twin sister who tried to resurrect him in the game, and bears many similarities to the fairy witch Maleficent.
While some claim Jasmine is Arab because the movie opens with a song called Arabian Nights, others believe that the architecture in Agrabah is clearly based on the Taj Mahal, making Jasmine Indian. It's a debate that has fueled speculation that in Hollywood, Indians and Arabs are interchangeable.
The rise of our current era of big names plastered over animated film posters has been traced back to Robin Williams in the 1992 Aladdin. And it's that same Aladdin that gives Tom Cruise a connection — albeit a loose one — to animation: he was actually a model for the main character.
The key protagonist of both films is male (Figure 3). Although it may be argued that the newer version tries to put more of a spotlight on Jasmine, Aladdin is the central focus of the movie.
Background. Cassim is the father of Aladdin. Long before the events of the first film, he left his wife and young son in order to find a better life for the poverty-stricken family. While he was gone, Aladdin's mother died, leaving Aladdin as a presumed orphan.
More immediate is the Jafar and Jasmine relationship in the film. The villain's plan eventually evolves to him staging a forced marriage with the princess, but a clear infatuation with Jasmine is built up throughout the movi.
The original Aladdin story was actually set in China. Aladdin is one of the stories compiled in The Thousand and One Nights — a collection of Middle Eastern and Indian folk tales, however, it did not appear in the original Arabic text.
She comes from the South Asian-inspired Kingdom of Sherabad, which Jafar wanted to conquer to expand Agrabah. She also is mentioned to have been the victim of murder, which caused her husband to keep their daughter inside the palace for protection.
For example, Elsa and Anna from Frozen are Norwegian, Jasmine from Aladdin speaks Arabic, and Snow White is German. The result is two videos, each featuring five different Disney princesses singing their signature tune in their native tongue. Take a look and a listen below.
Jasmine was only 15 years old when royal suitors fought for her hand in Aladdin. Knowing Jasmine's age puts a decidedly unsavory spin on her storyline in the original animated movie. At least the Disney princesses that came before her were falling in love on their own, not being pushed into relationships by her father.
