Prior to Disney’s live-action Aladdin there were very real concerns it might underwhelm the way Dumbo did. The first teasers weren’t well-received, with everybody taking jabs at Will Smith’s blue-skinned Genie. But now, three months since it opened, Aladdin has surpassed expectations with $1.03B box office. If you think numbers like that mean we might be getting a sequel, you’d be right.
Speaking with Syfy, producer Dan Lin says early discussions have begun for another Aladdin movie. Just don’t expect them to simply remake the straight-to-video Return of Jafar…
“We’d love to. People clearly loved the movie and watched it multiple times and we get lots of fan letters and people asking us to make ‘Return [of] Jafar,’ and I can just tell you that we’re in the early stages right now, but we’re certainly talking about another movie. Like with ‘Aladdin,’ it will not be a straight remake of any movie that’s been made before, so we’re looking at ‘where’s the best way to go with these characters?”
Bad as it might be, The Return of Jafar is one of the best selling home videos ever. That said, nobody wants to see that shit again and a new story would definitely be in order. Nobody should be surprised Disney wants a sequel to a film that made so much money. Of course they do. Any studio would do the same. I’ll be shocked if we haven’t heard anything concrete about it by year’s end.
