Guy Ritchie is nearing a deal to direct Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of the studio’s 1992 animated classic Aladdin.
Dan Lin, who produced the two Richie-directed Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, promises an “ambitious and non-traditional” take on Aladdin, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Big Fish writer John August has written the script, which is said to include many of the musical elements from the original, but is non-linear in its structure – much like Ritchie’s two earliest successes, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.
Since making a name for himself with those gritty crime capers, Ritchie has worked mostly in the blockbuster realm. On top of the Sherlock Holmes franchise, Richie made The Man From UNCLE, based on the popular spy series, and is now in postproduction on King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, an update on the Camelot legend, set for release in March.
Disney’s Aladdin is best remembered for Robin Williams beloved voicing of the wisecracking genie, who grants Aladdin his three wishes. The film won Oscars for best score and best song (A Whole New World), and was the highest-grossing film of 1992. A stage musical based on the film opened on Broadway in 2014, and is currently playing.
This marks the latest in a string of live-action updates of Disney classics including Cinderella, Pete’s Dragon and The Jungle Book, which grossed close to $1bn worldwide this year. Next up is Bill Condon’s take on Beauty and the Beast, out in March, followed by Mary Poppins Returns in 2018. The studio also has a live-action Mulan in the works, and recently re-teamed with The Jungle Book director Jon Favreau to reimagine The Lion King.
No release date has been set for the new Aladdin.
