Aladdin would have been the best live-action candidate for a sequel, but it looks as if Disney is never going to make this happen. This harsh reality is even harder to accept since the House of Mouse had already confirmed that a script for Aladdin 2 was in the works. It was meant to again feature Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Will Smith, and other stars of the 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin, and it was speculated that the sequel would be based on the animated movie Aladdin and the King of Thieves. After the massive success of Aladdin, it seemed that the live-action sequel was a shoo-in.
2019’s Aladdin was among the first wave of live-action remakes of Disney’s Princess movies, and it was a hit. The Guy Ritchie film managed a whopping $1 billion at the global box office, with $91.5 million brought in during the opening weekend. The critical reception of Aladdin was a touch less impressive, since the film only holds a 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the Popcornmeter score of 94% proves that this was a movie aimed directly at general audiences. This earned Aladdin a chance to be the first of Disney’s live-action remakes to get a sequel—but don’t hold your breath.
A Live-Action Aladdin 2 Probably Isn’t Happening
The Project Has Been Shelved
The live-action Aladdin 2 was confirmed by Disney shortly after Aladdin‘s success was apparent, and there has technically been no official cancellation. However, Massoud has since provided some rather bleak updates on the project. In 2022, the actor explained that some significant changes needed to be made to the script, but it sounded as if Aladdin 2 was still actively in the works. Then, in 2023, Massoud responded to questions about the movie on Twitter (in a post that has since been deleted), stating that Aladdin 2 was “very unlikely” to happen at this point.
Disney responded to none of Massoud’s claims, and this, combined with the lack of updates on the previously confirmed projects, indicates that the actor is entirely correct. After several financial and critical flops, 2023 brought some big changes for Disney, and CEO Bob Iger has since announced that the company would be scaling back on some big-budget projects. Aladdin 2 would certainly fall into this category, especially if the sequel sought to bring Aladdin and the King of Thieves to live-action.
An Aladdin Sequel Could Have Adapted King Of Thieves
The Animated Aladdin Sequel Would Have Been Perfect In Live-Action
Aladdin and the King of Thieves was the 1996 sequel to the original animated Aladdin movie. In the ’90s and 2000s, Disney’s animated sequels were typically of significantly lower quality and almost always direct-to-video releases. Most are hardly noteworthy, but King of Thieves is one that managed a bit of traction. For one, the sequel actually had rather an impressive cast. The original voice cast, which included Robin Williams, Scott Weinger, and Linda Larkin, all returned, and were joined by John Rhys-Davies as Cassim, Aladdin’s father.
The story of Aladdin and the King of Thieves was inspired by another One Thousand and One Nights story, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. It picked up just before Jasmine and Aladdin’s wedding, when the former street rat learned the identity of his father. Rhys-Davies character was the movie’s titular King of Thieves, and Aladdin’s effort to reconnect naturally only led to trouble. King of Thieves was fun but a bit dark, full of drama and precisely the sort of flair that made Aladdin so successful. It would have been perfect for live-action, and Ritchie would have been perfect to direct.
Guy Ritchie Would Have Been Perfect For King Of Thieves
Aladdin 2 Could Have Been A 1001 Nights Gangster Movie
Custom Image by Milica Djordjevic
Part of the 2019 Aladdin‘s success is owed to its director, Guy Ritchie, who would have been simply perfect in bringing Aladdin and the King of Thieves to live-action. Ritchie is best known for his gangster films, with projects like Snatch (2000), Revolver (2005), RocknRolla (2008), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), and more serving as prime examples. A movie about Aladdin’s crime-boss father would have been right up Ritchie’s alley. So long as the director had brought the same sort of care to the live-action sequel as he did with Aladdin, Aladdin 2 could have been perfection.
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Could Aladdin 2 Ever Be Made?
There Is Still A Very Small Chance
Unfortunately, the longer things go without any news, the less likely it seems that Aladdin 2 will ever happen. It’s technically possible that the dusty script could be pulled from a drawer somewhere at Disney in the coming years, especially since the project itself was never officially canceled. However, several other factors would make it difficult for Aladdin 2 to ever become a reality. First, while Aladdin performed well, several other live-action remakes, like The Little Mermaid, flopped at the box office. Disney may not have the budget for a project like Aladdin 2, but that’s not all.
It’s technically possible that the dusty script could be pulled from a drawer somewhere at Disney in the coming years, especially since the project itself was never officially canceled.
It has already been six years since 2019’s Aladdin hit theaters, and this would make returning to the story far more complicated. The actors have naturally gotten older, which would make the short time jump of Aladdin and the King of Thieves difficult. Scott, who played Jasmine in Aladdin, is a higher profile star than she was back in 2019, and this would have made Disney’s budget situation all the stickier. Still, perhaps the greatest obstacle for Aladdin 2 would be the controversy surrounding actor Will Smith ever since he slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars Ceremony.
What Other Live-Action Disney Remakes Are Coming Out?
Disney Has Put Its Focus Elsewhere
Though Disney has pulled back its investment in Aladdin, it hasn’t put the brakes on any and all live-action remake movies. It seems that Iger feels that a live-action sequel would be too much of a risk, but there are still several initial remakes of Disney animated movies in the works. Snow White will hit theaters on March 21, 2025, and will be followed up by Lilo & Stitch on May 23, 2025. Next will be the live-action remake of Moana, which is a significant surprise considering the relatively recent release of the original animated movie. After Moana‘s expected July 10, 2026 release date, there are several more Disney live-action remake movies expected to begin development.
|
Every Live-Action Remake Confirmed By Disney |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Movie Title |
Status |
Release Date |
|
Snow White |
In Post Production |
March 21, 2025 |
|
Lilo & Stitch |
In Post Production |
May 23, 2025 |
|
Moana |
In Production |
July 10, 2026 |
|
The Hunchback of Notre Dame |
Confirmed |
TBD |
|
The Aristocats |
Confirmed |
TBD |
|
Hercules |
Confirmed |
TBD |
Animated movies like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Aristocats, and Hercules have all been confirmed. However, it’s difficult to tell whether these Disney confirmations mean any more than that of Aladdin 2. It appears that the House of Mouse is very choosy about how it currently spends its money. However, if any of the above projects happen to rake in the cash, more live-action remakes could be on the way. However, given all the obstacles keeping Aladdin 2 from becoming a reality, it’s difficult to say whether it will ever get its time in the sun—one way or another.
Aladdin
- Release Date
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May 22, 2019
- Runtime
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127 minutes
- Writers
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John August
- Producers
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Kevin De La Noy, Dan Lin