'Aladdin' Live-Action Sequel Now In Development

The live-action remake of “Aladdin” is getting a sequel, and it’s already in development. While Disney has yet to drop details about the follow-up film, rumor has it that the sequel will be an original story and will not adhere to either the “Return of Jafar” or “King of Thieves.”

With the 2019 “Aladdin” film raking in $1.05 billion at the global box office, Disney has all the reasons to keep the money train moving. The live-action remake was one of the studio’s jewels in its 2019 box office crown, joining the ranks of Disney’s big-ticket projects like “The Lion King” live-action remake, “Avengers: Endgame,” “Frozen 2,” “Toy Story 4,” and “Star Wars: Skywalker.”

The “Aladdin” live-action became the fourth live-action Disney adaptation to hit the billion-dollar box office milestone. Soon after its success, Disney execs took pitches from various writers to find the best take for a possible sequel. After six months of figuring out the direction of the next film, producers have finally decided to get the project moving.

Early reports suggest that Will Smith, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott, who portrayed Genie, Aladdin, and Jasmine in the first film, will reprise their roles in the upcoming sequel but Disney has yet to contact them. The studio will reportedly not extend offers to the three stars until a script is ready.

Original director Guy Ritchie is also expected to helm the project with award-winning writers John Gatins and Andrea Berloff penning the script. Previously, Gatins earned an Oscar nomination for his work on “Fight.” Berloff, on the other hand, earned an Oscar nomination for “Straight Outta Compton.” Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich will also be back to produce the follow-up film through their Rideback banner.

As Disney intends to use “Aladdin 2” to rake in big in international cinemas, the film will reportedly get a theatrical release and will not hit the Disney Plus streaming service. While the original animated film had two straight-to-video sequels, Disney’s new take on this live-action sequel will be completely original.

"Aladdin 2" has yet to get a release date.