Come 2019, Disney would be bringing back the magical Arabian nights, and this time, on the big screen with the highly-awaited feature film Aladin, the first teaser of which was dropped on its official YouTube handle.
It starts with the shadow of a bird gliding over the clear blue sky of an arid desert, before cutting to the pristine settings of the holy city of Agrabah. As the bird’s revealed to be Iago, the wisecracking parrot that served as Sultan’s henchman in the 1992 animation film, it then leads us to the infamous Cave of Wonder that roars the words, “Only one may enter here” as a shadowy figure peers into the darkness.
“One whose worth lies far within; a diamond in the rough,” adds the mysterious voice as the teaser then reveals the magical interiors that’s supposedly bustling with precious gems and stones. But aloft a rocky cliff, sits the mystical lamp that Aladin, played by Mena Massoud, goes ahead to lift as the clip ends before we can even get a glimpse of Will Smith’s eccentric jinn, Genie.
Disney have opted to keep their cards close to their chests in the first teaser, giving away too little whilst only revealing some of the important elements of the popular fantasy drama. But one may have to wait until the first official trailer, which cannot be expected at least until the end of December, to catch a sneak peek of other characters like Genie, Jasmine, Sultan etc., as well as the movie plot, more importantly.
The visuals, well, they appear to be on a par with Disney’s usual stratospheric standards, but it’s only after watching the full-length clip that we can deduce the extent of it’s VFX idyll, though this teaser has already stirred up a hornet’s nest! Can’t wait…
A Walt Disney Pictures production, Disney’ Aladin is once again directed by Guy Ritchie, the man who helmed the original 1992 classic, and lets the genie out on 24 May 2019.