A prequel to the 1992 Disney animated film, "Aladdin," is in the works, and this time, it's going to be a live-action movie with the Genie as the main focus.
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Walt Disney Studios is in the development stages for "Genies," which will feature the comic adventure of the tale's beloved genie character before he was set free by Aladdin inside the lamp.
Damian Shannon and Mark Swift have been tapped to write the screenplay. They have both started off as writers for horror flicks like "Freddy vs. Jason," but have since been doing comedy films. Trip Vinson will be serving as "Genies" producer under his Vinson Films banner. The production's most recent hit is the disaster flick "San Andreas."
While everything is still in the early stages, the report also revealed that there is a plan to also produce a live-action version of "Aladdin" after "Genies."
The movie is the latest in Disney's recent slate of live-action adaptation productions, following "The Jungle Book," which is set to run in theaters in October 2015, according to Cinema Blend, and "Beauty and the Beast," which will be unveiled in 2017, according to IMDb. "Beauty and the Beast" stars Emma Watson.
Other animated fairy tale favorites like "Mulan" and "Alice in Wonderland" are also getting a live-action treatment, as is "Prince Charming," which will feature the Disney princess' favorite leading man's life story as told from the perspective of his lesser-known brother.
The studio has already successfully adapted "Cinderella" with Lilly James and "Maleficent" from "Sleeping Beauty" with Angelina Jolie. These movies were certified box office hits, earning $539 million and $758 million respectively, according to The Verge.
Meanwhile, the role of the genie has yet to be cast, but as anyone can imagine, a lot will be expected from the iconic character. The most notable performance of the Genie was delivered by Robin Williams in the '90s animated film. For voicing the character, Williams was nominated for a special Golden Globes award.
"We could have just gotten somebody who was technically adept at impressions," said Eric Goldberg, a Disney Animator retelling to L.A. Times how Robin Williams became genie's voice in the classic "Alladin" movie.
"But the warmth that Robin brought was something we tried very hard to convey. Sidekicks carry the comedy, yes, but you also have to believe that they care about the main character. You have to believe their sincerity. Without that, you would have a technical exercise, but no heart," he adds.
