Mena Massoud Reveals Exciting Plans for an Aladdin Sequel!

by

In the wake of the latest release, “Mufasa: The Lion King,” Disney has been re-imagining its timeless animated masterpieces, either as sequels, spinoffs, or live-action adaptations. For instance, in 2019, Will Smith stepped into the role previously played by Robin Williams as the Genie in “Aladdin,” a critically acclaimed live-action remake of the popular 1992 film, directed by Guy Ritchie. Mena Massoud portrayed the beloved Aladdin character and is now starring in a new romantic drama film, “Wish You Were Here,” which is directed by Julia Stiles, known for her work on “10 Things I Hate About You.

MovieWeb recently interviewed Massoud during the promotion of the movie “Wish You Were Here”, now playing in theaters. In the conversation, the charming actor expressed his readiness to reprise his role in a live-action sequel to his popular Disney film, stating, “I’d be 100% on board for that!” He reminisced about the experience as “wonderful”, expressing eagerness to return.

Growing up, the animated version of that movie was significant to me, which is why I believe we could revisit it. It’s heartening to know that people enjoyed it as much as I did. I think there might be potential for a sequel where Aladdin and Jasmine are older, perhaps even parents. We had discussed this idea when they were considering a follow-up storyline. So, it’s not out of the question; we’ll have to wait and see. I would certainly welcome such a development!

An “Exciting” On-Screen Dynamic

Currently, Massoud’s portrayal in Stiles’ initial directorial work, Wish You Were Here, might cause a few tears to well up as his endearing, artistic character Adam forms a bond with the city-smart Charlotte (played by Isabelle Fuhrman) during the first act. Speaking about their collaboration, Massoud mentioned that they had only spent a little time together in LA beforehand. They went for lunch prior to heading to Jersey to shoot the film. He added, “You can always sense whether someone is fully present with you or preoccupied when you’re looking into their eyes during a scene. So, it was evident from our initial scenes together that there was chemistry.” Thus, he found it exciting.

In addition, during our interview with Massoud, we were also joined by fellow cast member and producer, Gabby Kono-Abdy. She shared insights into her extensive endeavor of transforming the original content into a live-action movie.

As a cinephile, I reminisce about 2016 when I immersed myself in a captivating tale hidden within the pages of a book. The narrative left me spellbound, and I firmly believed it deserved a grand cinematic telling. Over the following years, I persistently pursued Renée Carlino, the novel’s creator, until she graciously agreed to meet this persistent admirer who had been sending her messages on Instagram.

Kono-Abdy remarked, “After some rosé, I began to imagine who would be the ideal director for this story, someone who could truly breathe life into it. Instantly, Julia popped into my mind. Inviting her on board and backing her transition from acting to directing has been an incredibly fulfilling experience for me so far. She did an amazing job, and I can’t help but think, ‘I knew she would!'” The movie Wish You Were Here, produced by Lionsgate, is now showing in theaters.

Read More

2025-01-20 21:32