Disney struggling to find an actor to play Aladdin in its live-action remake

The studio has gone from looking at Riz Ahmed and Dev Patel to searching for a newcomer for the part

Disney is having a tough time finding their new Aladdin.

The Hollywood Reporter has published some slightly sweat-inducing claims about the current casting process for Guy Ritchie's Aladdin.

The studio started off strong in March with a global casting call for both the parts of Aladdin and Jasmine, with casting directors based in the likes of London, Egypt, Abu Dhabi, and India, in the search for actors of Middle-Eastern or Indian descent.

Around 2,000 actors have so far read for the roles of Aladdin and Jasmine, but Disney is apparently struggling to find someone for the former with both acting and singing abilities. And, since the original casting call specified a July start date for production, the search for the right actor may even be causing delays.



While Power Rangers' actress Naomi Scott and Indian actress Tara Sutaria are apparently favourites for the part of Jasmine, sources state that the studio can't lock a deal without finding their Aladdin, since chemistry is so key to the film.

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Disney has shown interest in names like Dev Patel and Riz Ahmed, but it's now thought to be more likely the actor will be a newcomer, with the studio instead looking for bigger names to play supporting roles like Jafar, and Will Smith already signed to play the Genie.

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There have reportedly been several rounds of tests in London, though one agent, whose client auditioned, claims "the test process was a mess". Apparently still in the running, however, are Dutch actor Achraf Koutet, Canadian actor Mena Massoud, and American actor George Kosturos.



In the studio's defence, Disney's not unknown for lengthy casting processes and went through a similarly rigorous process to find Cinderella's Lily James and The Force Awakens' Daisy Ridley.

Though Alden Ehrenreich was the first to audition for the part of Han Solo, Disney still tried out 3,000 other actors before giving him the part. Let's just hope this is merely a sign of the studio going the extra mile to find the right actor for the part.

 

This article originally appeared on The Independent.