When it was revealed that Aladdin passed the $1 billion mark, it wasn’t hard to guess that an Aladdin 2 would be in the works. But, one of the major questions on our mind about the Disney sequel is whether or not Aladdin’s director Guy Ritchie will return as director. He had a candid response about what his decision would be.
It may seem like an interesting choice for Disney to have hired Guy Ritchie to direct an Aladdin movie in the first place, since he was known for making high-energy hustler movies like Snatch. While his movies may have seemed like a far cry away from a Disney flick, he explained Aladdin is around the same realm in that the title character is considered a classic street hustler. Plus his five kids loving Disney films helped make his decision to take on the Aladdin project even further. In an interview with Collider, Ritchie spoke about if he’ll return for Aladdin 2.
I'd very much like to. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed that experience. It was a great experience. That whole Disney thing, as you can imagine, is such a professional outfit. Just from that perspective, it was so much fun. I would very much like to, we'll wait and see. We have been kicking some ideas around for some time now, but it'd be great to do, it would be great to go back there.
Guess that means we’ll have to wait and see. With his Disney remake surpassing the original at the box office and being the highest-grossing film of Ritchie’s career, it’s no wonder he’d be quick to jump back onto the project. When it was revealed that the Aladdin sequel would be “fresh and new,” producer Dan Lin said they would take ideas from multiple source materials to bring something new to the table. While the original Aladdin did have the two direct-to-video sequels The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves, those mixed to negatively reviewed sequels might be either blended together or taken from source material outside of that. So many might expect this new Disney sequel to be bigger and better than ever.
While we may not know yet if Guy Ritchie will be returning for Aladdin 2, there is one we know who will. Will Smith is reportedly returning to play Genie with The Sun claiming his role in this next movie will be even bigger than ever. With this possibly being his first signed project since the controversial Oscars slap, a family-friendly project might be good for him on his path of redemption. While nothing has been confirmed yet, we can expect it to be given that not only will Smith return, but so will Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott reprise their roles as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine. It wouldn’t be a true sequel without the talents of those three.
The Sherlock Holmes director is not leaving Disney as of yet. He’s scored another live-action Disney remake, Hercules. The son of Zeus may not be a hustler that you’d find in a Guy Ritchie movie, but this Greek Mythology-inspired character is truly badass. An update of the live-action Hercules remake says this reimagined movie will mix elements of the original animated movie with a modern TikTok-inspired musical. Nothing says more modern than that.
With Aladdin 2 coming into a full circle, it will only be a matter of time before we find out if Guy Ritchie or any of the main cast will come back for the upcoming Disney movie. Check in with our 2023 movie releases to get an idea of when Aladdin 2 is expected to be released in theaters.
