Disney finds its Aladdin and Jasmine, casts Will Smith as Genie
Disney has finally cast its Aladdin.
Newcomer Mena Massoud will play everyone's favorite scrappy street rat; Power Rangers star Naomi Scott has been cast as Jasmine; and Will Smith will portray the Genie in the production, which is directed by Guy Ritchie.
The casting news was announced Saturday at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim. According to Walt Disney Studios production president Sean Bailey, the live-action remake will draw inspiration from the 1992 animated classic, and the folk tales from One Thousand and One Nights, on which the original film was based.
The fictional city of Agrabah will have influences from around the globe, according to Bailey, including the cultures of the Middle East, India and China.
Check out photos of Massoud and Scott below.
Massoud, an Egyptian-Canadian actor who previously appeared as a series regular on TeenNick's Open Heart and in a guest spot on Canadian medical drama Saving Hope, will next star in Amazon's upcoming Jack Ryan series opposite John Krasinski.
London-born Scott -- whose mother hails from northern India -- recently starred in Lionsgate's Power Rangers reboot as Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart, and previously appeared in Fox's shortlived sci-fi drama Terra Nova and Disney Channel's original movie Lemonade Mouth.
Smith can next be seen in Netflix's fantasy/sci-fi movie Bright alongside Joel Edgerton and Noomi Rapace, premiering on the streaming service in December.
