Aladdin and Genie (Photo : Twitter/@digitalspy)
With the success of live-action Disney films, most notably Tim Burton's "Alice In Wonderland," "Robert Stromberg's "Maleficent," and Kenneth Branagh's "Cinderella," it has been reported that the House of Mouse is going to develop a prequel of one of its classic animated films, "Aladdin."
The "Aladdin" prequel will be called "Genies," as the House of Mouse will be focusing on the supernatural character, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
For the progress of the film, screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift are reported to be working on the script. Shannon and Swift are known for writing the screenplay for Marcus Nispel's horror film "Friday the 13th" and Ronny Yu's thriller film "Freddy vs. Jason." They are also set to pen the script for Adam Shankman's comedy film "O' Lucky Day," which will premiere in 2017.
Producer and executive Tripp Vinson will be leading the production of the "Aladdin" prequel. He is known for producing films like Scott Derrickson's horror thriller "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," Joel Shumacher's mystery thriller "The Number 23," and Tommy Wirkola's "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters." Vinson is also producing a "Prince Charming" movie for Disney, as per Variety.
Meanwhile, an announcement has to be made yet on the person who will be sitting on the director's chair to helm the film, the members of the cast, and the exact plot details.
The Genie is one of the most iconic and prominent characters in Disney's films. Robin Williams voiced the character in Ron Clements and John Musker's 1992 animated "Aladdin" film, along with Frank Welker as Abu and the Rajah, Jonathan Freeman as Jafar, Linda Larkin as Jasmine, and Scott Weinger as Aladdin.
Aladdin's Genie was initially as slave, who has extraordinary celestial abilities. Destined to a small lamp, he can only use his powers when his master, the lamp's owner, makes a wish. At the moment, "Genies" will focus on the land of the Genies and will unfold the story of how Aladdin's Genie got confined in the lamp.
The House of Mouse plots "Genies" as a stepping stone into a live-action "Aladdin" film. While the project is in its early phase of development, the release date of Disney's "Genies" has yet to be revealed.
