Disney shared the first full-length trailer for “Aladdin” on Tuesday, featuring additional footage of the most entrancing part of the new live-action film: Will Smith’s blue Genie.
The new trailer reveals that Smith puts an original twist on the genie’s “Friend Like Me” by rapping the number which was originally performed by Robin Williams in the 1992 animated film and won best original song at the next Oscars.
The “Aladdin” clip also gives fans a closer look at the evil Jafar, played by Marwan Kenzari, as well as the love story between Aladdin (Mena Massoud) and Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott).
As was the case for the previous “Aladdin” clips Disney has shared, social media was transfixed by Smith’s genie character, with many of the reactions seeming more positive this time around, with Twitter user @UPTOTASK describing Smith as “basically playing his character in Hitch but this time with powers.”
“Hold on..that Aladdin trailer Will Smith just drop actually kind of fire,” said @elitelife_kd.
“Slap two more arms on Will Smith and he’s Goro from Mortal Kombat,” observed @TriviumPaolo.
The trailer reassured @courtenlow, who wrote, “Honestly the greatest relief I’ve felt in months is seeing that Will Smith isn’t blue the whole movie.”
Honestly the greatest relief I’ve felt in months is seeing that Will Smith isn’t blue the whole movie.
— Courtney Enlow (@courtenlow) March 12, 2019
“Yes, I got a screen grab of Abu (Aladdin’s monkey) doing some sick trumpet work because that’s how we’re gonna start today,” @MrMattRooney declared.
And yes, I got a screen grab of Abu doing some sick trumpet work because that's how we're gonna start today. #Aladdin pic.twitter.com/M15jebDUSa
— Matt Rooney (@MrMattRooney) March 12, 2019
“I’m all for this lil vibe Will Smith is giving us with the Genie,” proclaimed @joshuachenault1.
I’m all for this lil vibe Will Smith is giving us with the Genie #Aladdin pic.twitter.com/XhMaK07nYP
— Joshua Chenault (@joshuachenault1) March 12, 2019
Smith has frequently hyped his role in the film on his own social media channels, telling Entertainment Weekly that while he was “terrified” to go up against Robin Williams’ “iconic” role as the original genie, he believed that his character was “different enough and unique enough that it would be in a different lane.”
After fans mocked Smith’s character’s bright blue coloring in the previous “Aladdin” trailer, Disney stood behind the genie in a statement to USA TODAY: “We have one of the most anticipated films of the year and are confident that audiences will fall in love with the Genie and all of the characters when it hits the big screen this May.”
“Aladdin” hits theaters May 24.
Disney gets the blues: How bad is Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ blue Genie problem after Will Smith reveal tanked?
