Why Winston Duke Thinks You Need To See Us More Than Once

Why Winston Duke Thinks You Need To See Us More Than Once

Jordan Peele’s debut film, Get Out, earned him an Oscar and instantly announced him as a bold and exciting new filmmaker with a clever voice. His eagerly anticipated follow up, Us, arrives in theaters this week, and I can tell you (as someone who was lucky enough to catch it at the South By Southwest film festival) that you are going to want to go out of your way to see it. In fact, make plans to see it twice.

There’s a twist in Us. That’s all I’ll reveal. But the twist changes the movie, and a second viewing will open up several new avenues of discussion. I’m not alone in thinking that repeat viewings are essential. One of the movie’s stars, Winston Duke, spoke with AMC Theatres and told them, regarding repeat viewing of Us:

It’s one of the things where you can’t get the full scope of what’s happening from the first viewing. Once you get to the end of the movie, it’s interesting to go back to the beginning and see how those things tie in and see the little nuanced body language and behaviors that foreshadowed some of those things. There’s a lot of beautiful literary elements that play in this film. A lot of allegory. A lot of foreshadowing. Metaphors. I know on my second viewing, a lot of things came alive that definitely I didn’t even understand while I was making it.

Winston Duke is not blowing smoke, but it’s really hard to elaborate on what he is saying without giving away the true joys of Us. So, we will dance around it.

Think of it this way. You likely saw Get Out. Do you remember how many clues and references Jordan Peele included in that socio-political thriller that weren’t clear until after you knew, fully, where the movie was going? Us is like that. You will enjoy it the first time through. It’s terrifying, and highly engrossing. But once you fully understand Us, you literally will want to do a 180-degree turn and buy a ticket for the next showing, because you will NEED to see it again.

Here’s the trailer for Us, to prepare you for this movie’s unique brand of insanity.

Want to go in cold? I can’t say that I blame you. Here’s all that you need to know about Us. It follows a family, led by Winston Duke and Lupita Nyong’o, as they embark on a restful weekend by the sea. But they are in for horrors when they are confronted by home invaders who look exactly like themselves. Who are these people, and what might this mean?

Find out for yourself when Us opens in theaters on Friday, March 22.

Netflix New Releases: Movies And TV Shows Coming To Netflix Streaming In April 2019

Netflix New Releases: Movies And TV Shows Coming To Netflix Streaming In April 2019

Like a nimble lamb sprinting across the countryside, April springs forth from March's end, typically bringing a change of season in its wake. Much like the changing seasons, streaming libraries are moving from the previous month's goodies into a new calendar full of delights.

Naturally, Netflix is one of the biggest parties to get in on streaming new content, what with its habit of refreshing its lineup on a monthly basis. While last month's newcomers happened to be a quite exciting bunch, the approaching weeks should attempt to give the past a run for its money. Here are the films and series that will be making April another month worthy of a Netflix subscription. Take a look.

Week of April 1

Across The Line - 4/1/19

All the President's Men - 4/1/19

Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - 4/1/19

Deliverance - 4/1/19

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - 4/1/19

Evolution - 4/1/19

Freddy vs. Jason - 4/1/19

Friday the 13th (2009) - 4/1/19

I Am Legend - 4/1/19

Lakeview Terrace - 4/1/19

Monster House - 4/1/19

Obsessed - 4/1/19

Penelope - 4/1/19

Pineapple Express - 4/1/19

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: S2 - 4/1/19

P.S. I Love You - 4/1/19

Snatch - 4/1/19

Spy Kids - 4/1/19

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D - 4/1/19

The Bone Collector - 4/1/19

The Fifth Element - 4/1/19

The Golden Compass - 4/1/19

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - 4/1/19

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 - 4/1/19

ULTRAMAN - NETFLIX ANIME - 4/1/19

Valkyrie - 4/1/19

Kevin Hart: Irresponsible - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/2/19

Suzzanna: Buried Alive - NETFLIX FILM - 4/3/19

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Part 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/5/19

In The Shadows - 4/5/19

Legacies: Season 1 - 4/5/19

Our Planet - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/5/19

Persona: Collection - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/5/19

Roman Empire: Caligula: The Mad Emperor - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/5/19

Spirit Riding Free: Season 8 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/5/19

Tijuana - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/5/19

Unicorn Store - NETFLIX FILM - 4/5/19

Week of April 7

Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 6 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/9/19

New Girl: Season 7 - 4/10/19

You vs. Wild - NETFLIX ORIGINAL- 4/10/19

Black Summer - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/11/19

A Land Imagined - NETFLIX FILM - 4/12/19

Band Aid - 4/12/19

Huge in France - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/12/19

Mighty Little Bheem - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/12/19

The Perfect Date - NETFLIX FILM - 4/12/19

The Silence - NETFLIX FILM - 4/12/19

Special - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/12/19

Who Would You Take to a Deserted Island? - NETFLIX FILM - 4/12/19

Week of April 14

Luis Miguel - The Series: Season 1 - 4/15/19

No Good Nick - NETFLIX ORIGINAL- 4/15/19

The New Romantic - 4/15/19

Super Monsters Furever Friends - NETFLIX ORIGINAL- 4/16/19

My First First Love - NETFLIX ORIGINAL- 4/18/19

A Fortunate Man - NETFLIX FILM - 4/19/19

Brené Brown: The Call to Courage - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/19/19

Cuckoo: Season 5 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/19/19

I, Daniel Blake - 4/19/19

Music Teacher - NETFLIX FILM - 4/19/19

Rilakkuma and Kaoru - NETFLIX ANIME - 4/19/19

Samantha!: Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/19/19

Someone Great - NETFLIX FILM - 4/19/19

Grass is Greener - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/20/19

Week of April 21

Pinky Malinky: Part 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/22/19

Selection Day - New Episodes - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/22/19

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/23/19

Bonding - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/24/19

The Hateful Eight: Extended Version - 4/25/19

The Ugly Truth - 4/25/19

The Protector: Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/26/19

ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/26/19

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/26/19

Street Food - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/26/19

The Sapphires - 4/26/19

Yankee - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/26/19

American Honey - 4/27/19

Week of April 28

Señora Acero: Season 5 - 4/28/19

Burning - 4/29/19

The Imitation Game - 4/29/19

Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 4/30/19

Baki: Part 2 - NETFLIX ANIME - 4/30/19

Ingress: The Animation - NETFLIX ANIME - 4/30/19

Movie buffs, your April is set with a mix of recent buzz-worthy titles, old favorites, and Netflix originals. Arriving not too long after Netflix's The Highwaymen tells the story of the law enforcement agents who chased down Bonnie and Clyde, the 1967 film version of Bonnie and Clyde's story will also be available. So, if you're looking for a double feature, you've got your Sunday afternoon planned out. Meanwhile, The Hateful Eight: Extended Edition goes Digital this month as well. Before you get too excited, it's more than likely just the theatrical Roadshow version that was shown in 70mm. Still, if you want to relive the theatrical experience that graced limited screens during the film's initial release, this is the place to be.

As far as the new and original coming to Netflix's April streaming lineup, Burning, the Korean cinema smash hit from last year, will be joining the team. Just don't read too much about the film before you watch it, as it sounds like it's a film you need to go into ice cold. And rounding out the lineup is two titles that Netflix will definitely make waves with. The first being Brie Larson's long awaited directorial debut, Unicorn Store, which has finally secured distribution after an almost two year wait. The second title, The Silence, sees Kiernan Shipka as a deaf teenager who possessed heightened senses, and uses them during an apocalypse involving creatures that hunt sound. That doesn't sound like A Quiet Place at all.

Speaking of Kiernan Shipka, the TV branch of Netflix will be able to give you even more content featuring everyone's favorite teenage witch, as Chilling Adventures of Sabrina finally returns for Part 2 of its first season. And raising even more hell are stand up specials like Kevin Hart: Irresponsible and Anthony Jeselnik: Fire In The Maternity Ward; both ready offer their own unique, off kilter views of the world.

Though if you're looking for something a little less dark, there's always the comforts of the food programming that Netflix excels at. The latest entry into that very world is Street Food, a series dedicated to the delicacies you won't find in any standard restaurant. Finally, if your kids, or children at heart, have been missing Trolls: The Beat Goes On, Poppy and her pals are coming back in April for their sixth season of joy and song.

Now remember, the titles above are subject to change. So if there's any surprise reshufflings or changes to what's supposed to be in store, you'll be able to come back to this spot and see what's up. Other than that, happy hunting for premium content in the month of April! If you've got a title in mind you don't see on the list above, feel free to take a look at the Netflix schedule for new and returning shows in 2019.

Richard Madden As The Next James Bond? Rocketman Star On His 'Flattering' Odds

Richard Madden As The Next James Bond? Rocketman Star On His 'Flattering' Odds

Now that the new Batman has been found in the form of Robert Pattinson (probably), it's time to turn to another pop culture icon with casting rumors: James Bond. Daniel Craig is reprising the role for the final time, but that hasn't stopped people from speculating on who will pay James Bond in the next movie. One of the most popular rumors has been Richard Madden, and while the actor is flattered by the speculation, he denied being up for the part.

Ever since Daniel Craig famously said he'd rather "slit his wrists" than make another James Bond movie after the release of Spectre, rumors have run rampant about who the next Bond could be. Names have included Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hardy, and Idris Elba, but Richard Madden has become a recent favorite for the iconic spy.

Daniel Craig is evidently not slitting his wrists and will play Bond one last time in Bond 25, but after that it's anyone's game. Madden's name is once again popping up as a potential candidate, but the actor is (predictably) denying any intention to play the character.

Richard Madden might be an unfamiliar name to some, but fans will most likely recognize him from his work on Game of Thrones as Robb Stark. The actor also proved his action chops in the acclaimed BBC series Bodyguard, which helped add fuel to the James Bond fire. Madden can be seen in the upcoming Elton John biopic Rocketman, which premiered at Cannes this week to rave reviews.

Richard Madden was at Cannes this week promoting Rocketman, and it didn't take long for someone to ask him a James Bond question. One journalist told him that the odds of him playing James Bond increased 2-1, and the white suit that Madden wore on the red carpet certainly put James Bond in people's minds (via Variety). Here's what Madden said:

It’s very flattering to be involved in that conversation at all, but it’s all just talk, and I’m sure next week it’ll be someone different.

Well, he's not wrong that someone else will inevitably be the next rumor, but it's not like Richard Madden would be able to give any definitive answers if he were up for the part. However, Madden is also up for a lead role in Marvel's Eternals, which would presumably take up most of his time.

Thankfully, his Rocketman co-star Taron Egerton was there to have some fun with the situation. After Richard Madden gave his answer, Egerton starting humming the iconic James Bond theme, which got a good laugh from from Madden.

It's unclear who will play the next James Bond, but lets not put the cart before the horse. We still have to deal with Bond 25, which is slated to release in theaters on April 8, 2020. That's less than a year away, but you can keep yourself occupied with our 2019 movie release guide.

This Year's Easter Box Office Was The Worst In A Decade

This Year's Easter Box Office Was The Worst In A Decade

This past weekend, the latest film in Warner Bros. and New Line’s Conjuring Universe, The Curse of La Llorona, opened to a solid $26.5 million. That exceeds expectations considering that some predictions had it struggling to make $20 million. And yet, the overperformance of The Curse of La Llorona was not enough to stop this year’s Easter weekend box office from being the worst in over a decade.

Including The Curse of La Llorona’s solid debut, the domestic box office returns over the holiday weekend amounted to an estimated $103 million. According to The Wrap, that’s down 22% from last Easter when Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster Ready Player One was the big release. That $103 million is also the lowest the Easter weekend box office has been since 2005, when it totaled only $99 million, with the Ashton Kutcher comedy Guess Who leading the charge with $20 million.

It is true that the box office is in a slump this year compared to the highs of recent years, but this low Easter box office seems less a product of that and more the result of the calm before the Avengers: Endgame storm. Studios gave the Marvel event a wide berth, lest their films get snapped out of existence. So other than The Curse of La Llorona, the only other new wide releases over Easter weekend were Breakthrough and Penguins.

The faith-based Breakthrough capitalized on the Easter holiday with a third-place debut of $11 million. The latest Disneynature doc Penguins opened last Wednesday in advance of Monday’s Earth Day and made $2.4 million over the holiday weekend. A low-budget horror movie, a faith-based film and a nature doc are not exactly blockbusters to begin with, and the fact that Avengers: Endgame releases this week seems to have depressed audience turnout, with everyone preparing for the 3-hour MCU epic.

It wasn’t all bad though. Captain Marvel, which fell out of the top 5 last weekend, returned at number 4 over Easter, jumping 6% week over week to $9.1 million. That helped push the record-breaking film over $400 million domestic. That increase is perhaps the result of an Avengers: Endgame bump, as audiences rewatch MCU titles or get caught up before next week.

The Curse of La Llorona did manage to push Shazam! out of the top spot in its third weekend in release, but the DC superhero flick still pulled in $17 million to add to its solid run. Perhaps if last week’s Hellboy hadn’t crashed and burned so spectacularly in its opening, this Easter weekend box office wouldn’t have been the worst in 14 years. Alas, the attempted comic book reboot dropped 68% in its second weekend.

Despite this past weekend’s disappointing returns, in keeping with the spirit of the Easter holiday, the box office will rise again next weekend. Avengers: Endgame arrives on April 26 and all signs are pointing towards a massive opening ($300 million y’all, I think it’s happening), with some theaters running round the clock screenings over the weekend.

Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the big summer movies looking to help the box office rebound and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

Brigitte Nielsen Was Super Pregnant Filming Creed II

Brigitte Nielsen Was Super Pregnant Filming Creed II

In a surprise cameo, actress Brigitte Nielsen appeared in last year’s Creed II, reprising her role as Ludmilla Drago from Rocky IV. The years made Ludmilla even colder as she had abandoned her husband and son and at the film’s end, left ringside when it became clear that Viktor was going to lose. For Brigitte Nielsen, she had to play Viktor’s unsympathetic mother while being super pregnant herself, as she explained:

It actually helped me a lot, having four grown-up boys and having been through a divorce when my youngest boy was eight. I had a 10-year-old, a 14-year-old, and an 18-year-old. ... I was making that choice to leave again — it was a hell physically and emotionally because Ludmilla was in me. Of course it was tough, but it was overwhelming and it was purifying at the same time. I don't know why, but it’s so magical to be pregnant. I had so much inner energy, and thank god again that I’m almost 6’1 tall, because I was 7-and-a-half months pregnant and you couldn’t tell. I could still get away with it. But that was because of my height; had I been 5’2, it would show in a different way, obviously. But it was amazing, and very emotional.

Brigitte Nielsen wasn’t just pregnant while filming Creed II, she was super pregnant. As in third trimester, 7-and-a-half months pregnant. But as we’ve heard, the actress was excited to come back to the franchise and like the stone cold badass she was in Rocky IV and Red Sonja, Brigitte Nielsen was still up for the challenge of returning to the character that she first inhabited over 30 years ago.

It sounds like hiding her pregnancy onscreen wasn’t a major issue either because, as Brigitte Nielsen told The Hollywood Reporter, she wasn’t showing so much that her condition was super obvious. That meant that she could get away with appearing in the film without needing to make her character pregnant or using major movie magic make her look not pregnant. She attributes this to her over 6’ height. Apparently that made her pregnancy less noticeable than if she was not Amazonian in stature.

Despite being very pregnant with her fifth child during the filming of Creed II, that didn’t slow down Brigitte Nielsen who enjoyed the experience of being pregnant, and was full of life and energy to return to the character of Ludmilla Drago. It fits, because I don’t imagine former Soviet swimmer Ludmilla would let pregnancy slow her down either.

Brigitte Nielsen also brought some real-life experience as a mother into her role as Ludmilla. Having multiple children and having been through divorces like her character in the film, it was a tough emotional experience for the actress to play the callous character, a trophy wife whose investment in other people, even her own family, extends only as far as they can provide her with status and luxury.

Despite being nervous to reunite with ex-husband Sylvester Stallone, Brigitte Nielsen’s return in Creed II was a boon for the film. More than just a fun cameo, it just added further connective tissue between Creed II and Rocky IV and the two franchises. The return of Ludmilla and her story in the film also added some motivation and pathos to Viktor and Ivan’s story. Like Rocky and Adonis, Ivan and Viktor were real people who had real struggles, they weren't just some cudgel of an oppressive regime.

The same story could have still taken place without Brigitte Nielsen, with the dialogue explaining her absence. But by appearing in the film we were able to see who Ludmilla was now and that in his hour of need, she abandoned her son. In that Viktor and Ivan learn to live without her and for themselves.

Creed II is now available on digital, Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies headed your way this year.

Kevin Hart Riding A Camel For Jumanji 3 Is As Hilarious As You'd Expect

Kevin Hart Riding A Camel For Jumanji 3 Is As Hilarious As You'd Expect

As one might imagine, playing a video game character isn’t as easy as it looks, whether it be through challenging destinations, badass stunts, and long hours of gameplay -- you know, the usual! When Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle assembled comedic duo Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart in the roles of avatars, their over-a-foot height difference, differing experiences in the action movie sphere, and great chemistry certainly made for some hilarious moments. Just take a look at this behind-the-scenes bit from the set of the upcoming sequel:

Putting Kevin Hart on a camel for the next Jumanji movie is comedic gold, especially with The Rock in the background recording him on said camel for his Instagram, hoping he’ll catch him falling off. With this video from the set of his upcoming holiday release, Dwayne Johnson explained that he’s had plenty of camel training, especially during his time as The Scorpion King in the early ‘00s. It doesn’t look like the actor has been quick to pass on his knowledge to Kevin Hart out of the fun of seeing him interact with the camels.

The comedian took to Instagram to comment on The Rock’s Jumanji 3 set video. Here’s what he said:

That camel had a attitude...shit scared the hell out of me.

Kevin Hart added five laughing emojis to make it clear he had a sense of humor about it all. He then followed Johnson’s lead and posted his own camel post on Instagram, which featured the duo looking a lot more friendly with each other and their desert animal co-workers. Check it out:

Gotta love how Dwayne Johnson posts a video hoping Kevin Hart will fall and Hart posts a cute photo with them -- including a loving message to Johnson, calling him his brother! The pair have been filming in the Navajo Desert in New Mexico following starting out the year shooting in Atlanta. After they wrapped in Atlanta a few weeks ago, Dwayne Johnson teased that the cast would be moving the project to the desert, snow-capped mountains and jungles. Looks like there is still a lot more to do for the cast before the film is released in December!

Along with Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart returning, Jumanji 3 will also star Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, and the same teenagers in the 2017 action flick. Hart has teased that the new film will see the teens finding themselves back in the game but in a new level on a more risky adventure with raised stakes. Gillan’s Ruby Roundhouse will also reportedly evolve and have more to do this time around.

Jumanji 3 also has enlisted an impressive handful of new actors to the cast including Danny DeVito, Awkwafina, Danny Glover, and Dania Ramirez in undisclosed roles. The untitled Jumanji film will hit theaters on December 13.

Aladdin Live Action Movie: Here's What We Know

Aladdin Live Action Movie: Here's What We Know

After successfully owning the world of animation, Disney has found a remarkable way to take a second bite at the apple, by remaking all their most popular animated movies in live-action. Following on the success of The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast, Disney now has their sights set on the 1990s hit Aladdin. While we expect the movie to be a more or less straight forward remake of the animated classic, not every Disney remake has been done that way, and there's enough going on here to make us wonder.

Aladdin is one of Disney's most popular films but part of the reason for that is the iconic performance by Robin Williams, something the remake will have to do without. Will the new film be able to put the pieces together to make yet another memorable movie? Here's everything that we do, in fact, know about Disney's upcoming live-action Aladdin.

What Have We Seen From Aladdin?

A few different teasers and trailers have been revealed which have given us a decent taste of the new film. The first gave us a brief look at Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, but little else. The second sneak peek, viewable above, gave us a bit more, a few glimpses at different shots that will look familiar if you know the animated Aladdin well. The biggest thing that we have seen, however, comes at the end of the second teaser, as we get to see Will Smith as the big blue Genie in all his CGI glory.

What Is The Live Action Aladdin Release Date?

Aladdin will arrive in theaters May 24, 2019. This makes it the big Memorial Day weekend release for the year. It will have some competition that weekend going up against the James Gunn produced superhero horror movie Brightburn. The date also makes Aladdin the second of three major Disney remakes coming out in 2019. It will be preceded by Tim Burton's Dumbo in March and followed by The Lion King in July.

What Is The Live Action Aladdin Rating?

While PG-13 tends to be the goal rating for most of Disney's subsidiary brands, like Star Wars and Marvel, the House of Mouse is still all about the family experience. All of the live-action remakes that Disney has made so far have been rated PG and now we know that Aladdin officially has the same rating.

Even if it is directed by the guy who made Snatch, Aladdin isn't particularly violent or scary and while the transition from animated characters to real people certainly adds an element of reality to the proceedings, it clearly didn't push the material past a PG rating. And, it sounds like a smart move to keep the movie there, and make sure that as many families as possible can head out to theaters to see Aladdin during the holiday weekend.

The Director

Oh, did we mention that part yet? In a move that is either the most brilliant, or utterly insane, decision made by Disney in recent memory, Guy Ritchie has been tapped to direct the live-action Aladdin. The thing is, if you filed the serial numbers off of the plot, there's a lot that would make a good argument for Ritchie to direct this. The main character is a streetwise orphan who has to outwit the local police in order to survive, before stumbling on a plan to impersonate a prince in order to win his dream girl. The plot is made for Ritchie's signature style. He loves "street rat" characters, and as long as they don't make Aladdin swear a lot, this could work

While Guy Ritchie strikes us as an unusual choice, Ritchie himself has said that with his five kids, he knows as much, or more, about kids' movies as he does any other type of movie. He seems to be fully on board working with Disney and he's familiar with the product, so we can't wait to see what the creative director will do with Aladdin.

The Writers

The screenplay for the live action version is a team effort between Guy Ritchie and John August. This will be August's second Disney script, following up his work on Tim Burton's stop-motion feature version of Frankenweenie. In fact, August is a frequent Tim Burton collaborator, having worked on the scripts for Big Fish, Corpse Bride, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. John August has certainly written some creative stories, which is good for a Disney property, although this is his first screenplay since 2012.

What Is The Live Action Aladdin Story?

For the most part, we know what the plot of the live-action Aladdin will be, as it will, more or less, follow the plot of the animated original. "Street Rat" Aladdin gets chosen by Jafar to enter the Cave of Wonders to retrieve a magic lamp, but instead, Aladdin takes the lamp and uses it to become a prince in an attempt to woo Princess Jasmine. The Princess, on the other hand, is dealing with a parade of princely suitors, none of which she's much interested in because she wants to marry for love, not political reasons. Shenanigans ensue.

Of course, how closely Disney's remakes actually stay to the previous version has varied across films. While Beauty and the Beast was an incredibly faithful remake, Cinderella added a great deal of new material and character development to the hero. The Jungle Book contained some of the animated versions' original music while Beauty and the Beast was a full musical. The success of Beauty and the Beast might lead Disney toward a more faithful remake, yet we just can't see Guy Ritchie making an entirely traditional Disney movie. Several details that we do have indicate there will be at least some differences to set the live-action Aladdin apart from its predecessor.

The Music

One way in which the live-action Aladdin is expected to follow in the footsteps of Beauty and the Beast is by adding music. Early word from the Aladdin casting process was that they were having some difficulty casting the lead roles of Aladdin and Jasmine because it was difficult to find actors who met all of their requirements. One of those requirements was the ability to sing. This would certainly seem to confirm that the new Aladdin will include all the musical numbers that the original version did.

Beauty and the Beast also included new music, and we've found out that Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriters behind The Greatest Showman and La La Land, have collaborated with Alan Menken on two new songs for the film. There's also the possibility that music from the Broadway production could also make its way into the movie.

The Genie

The movie may be called Aladdin, but when you think about Disney's animated movie, you think first of the Genie, voiced to perfection by the great Robin Williams. There's no replacing Williams in the role, so Guy Ritchie and Disney have apparently decided the best way to cast the role is to go for something totally different. Will Smith is on board to play the Genie in the live-action remake. This could be an utterly brilliant decision as Smith is an actor with endless amounts of personality, while at the same time, that personality is completely different from that of Williams.

We actually found out at CinemaCon 2018 that this version of the character is being described as "a little Fresh Prince, a little Hitch, and a whole lot of attitude," which makes sense, considering who's playing him. This movie might not be about the Genie, be he's the character that's going to hold the film together, so let's hope that characterization works with everything else they have planned.

Our first look at the blue Genie was met by a lot of questions from fans, as most people were not over the moon for the design. Having said that, pictures of Will Smith that appeared shortly after, plus new teases of the movie, show the Genie looking exactly like a human, which would seem to imply he will spend a lot of time in disguise, something the animated Genie never did.

Aladdin

The title role in Aladdin will be played by Mena Massoud. While not strictly a newcomer to Hollywood, he's not a household name by any means. Massoud has primarily been a TV actor up to this point, and he's been seen in Amazon's Jack Ryan series. Indications had been that filmmakers were looking for an unknown actor for the role and so it appears that Massoud might be exactly what they need, an actor who's not recognizable from any other role, but who has a significant amount of experience.

As far as we can tell, Massoud has no significant singing experience, which could mean he has natural talent that he's never explored, or it could mean he spent pre-production working with a voice coach.

Jasmine

Aladdin's better half will be played by the slightly better known Naomi Scott. Scott most recently introduced herself to film audiences in the role of Kimberly, the Pink Ranger, in the Power Rangers movie. Scott's name was long rumored to be in consideration and at the most recent D23 Expo in 2017, it was confirmed that she'd be in the one in the role. Scott got her start with singing before she was an actress so she has the musical ability the role will require. Scott will also be seen this year in Elizabeth Banks highly anticipated Charlie's Angels film.

Jafar

If there's one thing Disney animated films almost always get right, it's the villain, and Aladdin's Jafar is one of the all-time greats. Marwan Kenzari will take on the role of the Sultan's Grand Vizir. Recently, Kenzari has had significant roles in movies like The Mummy and The Promise, but playing the big bad in a Disney movie will almost certainly be the actor's big debut for mass audiences. We just hope he's practicing his evil laugh. Also probably his singing, as we can't tell if he's ever really done that before.

The Sultan

Jasmine's father, the Sultan of Agrabah, isn't necessarily a starring role, but it is an important one. In the live-action adaptation, Navid Negahban will play the part. In the animated film the character was something of a clueless buffoon. Negahban doesn't tend to play that sort of character, which makes me think the Sultan will be a bit smarter this time around.

The Animal Characters

While the vast majority of Aladdin characters are human or humanoid, some of them fall into the classic Disney category of talking animals. Disney proved with The Jungle Book that they were capable of creating CGI animals that interact realistically with people, but it appears the plan for Aladdin is just to use actual animals for the parts. In the original Aladdin Jasmine's tiger Rajah and Aladdin's pet monkey Abu were little more than animals that they appeared to be. They could communicate wit humans but could not speak. Jafar's parrot Iago was a different sort of creature, capable of full speech humans could understand. As far as we can tell from the trailers, Iago will be in the film along with Abu and Rajah, but they'll just be animals.

New Characters

In addition to all of the old characters who will be back, we do know that the live-action Aladdin will introduce a trio of new characters. Former Saturday Night Live alum Nasim Pedrad has been cast in the new role of Mara. Mara is described as a handmade and friend of Princess Jasmine. The role is being called a comedic supporting role, which seems perfect given Pedrad's previous work. It's also a welcome addition considering that the original animated film really only had the one female role.

In addition, Numan Acar has been cast in the role of Hakim, the chief of the guards who is described as the right-hand man of Jafar. This could indicate that since Iago will not be Jafar's partner in crime, Hakim could be taking on the position of Jafar's go-to subordinate. Overall, the role sounds to be very much like the animated film's character named Razoul, who was the head of Agrabah's guard, but had no particular love for Jafar in that version.

Lastly, actor Billy Magnussen, who showed off his singing chops in Into the Woods as well as appearing in Game Night, Ingrid Goes West and American Crime Story, has signed on to play the role of Prince Anders. Right now, we don't know anything about this character or how he'll fit into the narrative, but it's possible that he'll end up being one of the many potential suitors for Princess Jasmine.

We're only a couple of days away from Aladdin's debut in theaters, so be sure to keep an eye on this guide for the latest updates!