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The Aladdin controversy Disney can't escape

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Deleted member 465307

Unconfirmed Member
They can't find Middle Eastern people that have, at the very least, acting and singing talent comparable to Emma Watson?

OK.

If the meaaure of "castability" were only based on performance, I would say that I feel that Emma Watson unfortunately set a low bar for their future films. So I agree with you there. That said, Emma Watson is obviously quite famous and popular in major markets, so that was on her side.

If they're casting an actor who is relatively unknown when compared to Emma Watson, they'll definitely need someone whose performance carries the role. That said, I find it ridiculous they haven't been able to find someone.
 

nOoblet16

Member
And introducing Tilda Swinton, as Aladdin



No, let's not do that again...


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Man Cumberbatch playing Khan made me so sad. Cause on one hand he is a good actor but on the other he's like one of the whitest actors out there. Can't even pass him up as a half white dude because of that.
 

Sheroking

Member
If the meaaure of "castability" were only based on performance, I would say that I feel that Emma Watson unfortunately set a low bar for their future films. So I agree with you there. That said, Emma Watson is obviously quite famous and popular in major markets, so that was on her side.

If they're casting an actor who is relatively unknown when compared to Emma Watson, they'll definitely need someone whose performance carries the role. That said, I find it ridiculous they haven't been able to find someone.

The fact that this is called "Aladdin" will carry them to a big box-office.

They don't need a star, they can make one.
 

nOoblet16

Member
I will say this though, had they casted even moderately popular Bollywood actors then the movie would've made an absolute bank in India.
 
Man Cumberbatch playing Khan made me so sad. Cause on one hand he is a good actor but on the other he's like one of the whitest actors out there. Can't even pass him up as a half white dude because of that.

That thoroughly pissed me off! Especially since they establish right at the begining of the movie what an INDIAN person looks like. WTF!
 
There are two incredibly disastrous director picks for projects that are steaming ahead in Hollywood right now. First, Guy Ritchie for Aladdin. He'd really have to tone down that overcharged sensibility that he's spent his entire career playing up. I knew he'd have trouble with this cause he's never had to cast for a non-White lead, at least that I can recall. I guarantee if Disney wasn't there to say "Don't fuck up" this movie already would've pulled a Prince of Persia.

I'm sure Guy Ritchie will just listen to what Disney says, otherwise he'll probably get fired. I doubt he has free reign anyway.
 

jdstorm

Banned
I'm sure the real reason they can't find someone is that they need someone with looks, acting chops, singing chops, dancing chops AND they need to do a convincing English accent.

By that definition Sylvester Stallone Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan still wouldn't get work. Its an unreasonable standard. Its fairly easy to teach an athletic person to dance and a charismatic person to act.

With over 1 billion people in eastern Asia its highly unlikely that thousands of people don't fit that description.
 
Is the dude from the Best Exotic Merigold Hotel too old?

Hell, the love interest from that movie could easily play Jasmine...


... Unless they are too old now...


Aladdin was set in Asia... So... They should be Indian, not middle Eastern anyway.
 

John Dunbar

correct about everything
still surprised disney got away with whitewashing dr. strange to please the chinese, but that's marvel fans for you. aladdin i suppose would be a bridge too far even for them so they can't go down that route.
 
I wonder why they didn't pick Dev Patel though. Dude has proven his acting and dancing chops, is young and well known too.

From the last thread about this, a combination of him possibly being too old and maybe, just maybe, that he and/or Riz Ahmed don't actually want to do it?

And that's ignoring the fact that maybe they want to find someone they can pay a lot less than those two.
 

jdstorm

Banned
If Disney is looking to cast a famous person Bruno Mars is the obvious choice.

Sure he's philipino but (being cynical) the majority of the internet/society isn't going to complain about a famous minority singer/dancer with the right look being cast as a middle eastern character.

Mars is a young looking 31 and considering that Disney cast an almost 40 year old Luke Evans to play Gaston (early 20s) in Beauty and the Beast thats a non issue.
 

nOoblet16

Member
From the last thread about this, a combination of him possibly being too old and maybe, just maybe, that he and/or Riz Ahmed don't actually want to do it?

And that's ignoring the fact that maybe they want to find someone they can pay a lot less than those two.
He's 27 though, unless they want someone 18-20 he isn't really old for this. But yea he would be expensive as he is a proven name so I doubt Disney can get away with paying him a low salary and have him take bonus from earnings instead like they did for Star Wars characters.
 
Half Indian, half English/German. To play an Arab?

Come on.

But he looks the part.

A lot of mixed races can pass as Arab/Middle Eastern/North African/Hispanic/Latino/Polynesian/Native American even light skinned African Americans.

Hell, The Rock could fit right in Agribah.
 

nOoblet16

Member
But he looks the part.

A lot of mixed races can pass as Arab/Middle Eastern/North African/Hispanic/Latino/Polynesian/Native American even light skinned African Americans.

Hell, The Rock could fit right in Agribah.
Well Agribah is a desert surely it'll have rocks around.
 
After Jon Favreau struck gold with Jungle Book, I stopped questioning director choices.

That mediocre crap is striking gold now?

King Arthur was pretty bad but I still think Ritchie is inspired choice for aladdin considering the whole street thief backstory. Lock stock the shit out of that script I hope.

But yeah to hell with Disney if they go white with this.
 

Cuburt

Member
The first thing they went wrong on is getting Guy Ritchie to be the one to pull this all together.

King Arthur bombing should have been enough to get Disney worried about his take on a "historical fantasy" (doesn't accurately describe Aladdin, but I think historical accuracy will end up having to play some roll) franchise, but, yeah, even without that, I have no idea why Guy Ritchie of all people would sound like a good idea to handle a film that they need a sensitive cultural reevaluation of the original film for Disney to pull off in live action.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
They must not have changed that lyric on all home video releases. Because I know I never saw the movie in theaters, but I definitely remember the original lyric on my copy growing up.

There are two incredibly disastrous director picks for projects that are steaming ahead in Hollywood right now. First, Guy Ritchie for Aladdin. He'd really have to tone down that overcharged sensibility that he's spent his entire career playing up. I knew he'd have trouble with this cause he's never had to cast for a non-White lead, at least that I can recall. I guarantee if Disney wasn't there to say "Don't fuck up" this movie already would've pulled a Prince of Persia.

The second is David Ayer for Gotham City Sirens. A guy who has literally never directed or written a movie with prominent female characters, aside from SS, tackling a movie about 3 major female characters. And let's be real, the costume department did the heavy lifting in SS

I mean, just direct them like the human beings they are. Doesn't seem like an innate obstacle.

star_trek_into_darkness___rima_harewood_by_newyounggun-daq0qyt.jpg


You don't remember this scene with the indian family and the girl dying?

She's in the movie for all of five seconds. Her husband is a British black dude who actually has more than a bit part, so we can be forgiven for forgetting who you were referring to.

I wonder why they didn't pick Dev Patel though. Dude has proven his acting and dancing chops, is young and well known too.

Probably more expensive than they want. Disney's hit paydirt recently snapping up young and cheap actors, and I doubt they want to break with that.
 

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Emma got Mulan on lock.

I just have this feeling that the Disney Mulan will be all Chinese cast, but the Sony Pictures one is going to pepper some White folks in there. The Sony version is a Chinese co-production, so I'm sure they'll push their hottest Chinese talent for the lead, but they're going to be chasing that Hollywood legitimacy ala The Great Wall.
 
I just have this feeling that the Disney Mulan will be all Chinese cast, but the Sony Pictures one is going to pepper some White folks in there. The Sony version is a Chinese co-production, so I'm sure they'll push their hottest Chinese talent for the lead, but they're going to be chasing that Hollywood legitimacy ala The Great Wall.

I did not know Sony was making their own version. I'm curious who's is going to finish and release first, because it'll consequently push back the other film the way Disney's Jungle Book release has pushed back Warner Brother's Jungle Book, despite it already being filmed, to next year.
 

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
I mean, just direct them like the human beings they are. Doesn't seem like an innate obstacle.

"Can't teach an old dog new tricks." I genuinely don't think he's capable of approaching it that way. It's not like he's some hot new writer/director, we have two decades worth of material from him. Women get raped and brutalized, the guys are macho gangsters. That's all he does.
 

MrS

Banned
Aladdin should be Daniel Day-Lewis's real last role.

Dev Patel would be fantastic too
 

norm9

Member
I watched Star Trek 2 as a kid, so I never had a problem with his portrayal of Khan. But with NEW Star Trek 2, I was like what the fuck? Am I a hypocrite?
 
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