The first glimpse of Will Smith in the live-action adaptation of Aladdin have been released and fans are here for it.
Although the first images of Smith as the Geenie in the upcoming film got the actor tons of flack on social media, we’re sure that after watching the trailer they won’t be disappointed. Smith infuses the same playful spirit as the original character in the beloved Disney cartoon on screen.
The trailer features Smith emerging from the lamp where he has been trapped with gusto. He towers over Aladdin, played by Mena Massoud, with a booming voice and serious expression before erupting into a fit of laughter and telling the frightened boy that he was “just kidding.”
It then shows him singing one of the story’s most memorable songs. Voiced by Robin Williams in the 1992 original version, the performance of “Friend Like Me” is one of the moments that made die-hard fans fall in love with the character, and Smith does the song justice as he shimmies around the cave in the desert.
It also features him advising Aladdin about the unforeseen “gray areas” where one of his wishes can be fulfilled, and using his magic to perform mystical wing man duties as he sneakily pushes Aladdin towards Princess Jasmine, played by Naomi Scott, while wearing a beautiful aquamarine turban.
Breaking out into a dance routine before evaporating into a whirlwind of electric blue smoke he becomes Geenie.
See for yourself when Aladdin hits theaters on May 24.
