‘Aladdin’ Is Latest Disney Classic to Get Horror Movie Treatment

Aladdin is getting the horror treatment with a “dark, supernatural reimagining.”

The timeless tale, originally brought to life as an enchanting animated musical by Disney in 1992 and later reimagined as a live-action remake in 2019, now presents a chilling reinterpretation for modern family viewing.

The Monkey’s Paw goes like this: “In present-day London, Aladdin finds himself in possession of an old monkey’s paw that is said to fulfill wishes. However, he soon realizes that each wish comes with a heavy cost to one’s soul.

Surrounded by people succumbing to its curse, he finds himself facing an increasing menace – a malevolent entity that thrives on every desire expressed.

The upcoming film, produced by Empire Studios, Every Entertainment, and 8th Law Pictures, will begin shooting next month in the United Kingdom.

The ensemble will feature Nick Sagar, a notable cast member from “Queen of the South,” Ricky Norwood, who has acted in “EastEnders,” and Montana Manning, known for her role in “Tell Me Everything.

In the star-studded cast of “Terrifier 3”, you’ll find Bradley Stryker. Not only is he acting in it, but he’s also taking on the role of director for this movie. The script comes from the pen of Charley McDougall.

McDougall stated in a release: “We’ve always aimed to delve into horror from a personal perspective – not just the fear, but the emotional toll of desires. This tale has been lingering in our minds for some time now, and we feel it’s ready to be unleashed. The most effective horror films linger with you even after the ending, and that’s exactly what this story does.

This work is effectively chilling, emotionally intense, and brimming with apprehension in all the perfect ways. We’re not merely creating another horror movie; rather, we’re constructing a universe centered around an iconic idea. The talon, the lore, the characters – it’s all skillfully incorporated.

Simultaneously, Stryker emphasized that the movie will offer both “devious” and “entertaining” experiences for viewers, taking them on an exciting adventure.

On different occasions, characters connected to Disney have experienced reimagining in a horrifying context, following examples such as “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” and “Mickey’s Mouse Trap.

2024 saw the unveiling of a highly-anticipated film, following closely on the heels of “Steamboat Willie,” the vintage debut of Disney’s globally recognized rodent emblem, which had now entered the public domain. Here’s my take on it.

As a cinephile, I recently indulged in a chilling on-demand flick that zeroed in on a murderer donning a terrifying rodent mask, preying upon unsuspecting college students within the confines of a neighborhood arcade.

25 Actors Who Turned Down Huge Movie Roles

Halle Berry – Speed’s Annie

Halle Berry candidly admitted in 2019 that she regrettably declined the opportunity to play the heroic bus passenger (later heroic bus driver) Annie in Speed, which eventually went to Sandra Bullock, a then-unknown actress with limited roles. The movie turned out to be a massive success, catapulting Bullock into stardom. Berry explained that in the script she reviewed, the bus didn’t even leave the parking lot, suggesting a less action-packed film.

Emily Blunt – Black Widow

Emily Blunt, with her captivating charm, knack for light-hearted humor, and background in action flicks, appears ideally suited for a role in the Marvel Universe. It’s somewhat surprising that she hasn’t already been cast in a Marvel film, but it’s not due to lack of opportunities. Her first opportunity came with Iron Man 2, where she was given the option to portray Black Widow. However, Blunt had to decline because she was bound by contractual obligations to work on Gulliver’s Travels at the same time. As Blunt expressed to Howard Stern, this was a disappointing turn of events for her. Scarlett Johansson eventually took on the role of Natasha Romanoff, appearing as the Avenger in eight Marvel films so far.

Jessica Chastain – Maya Hansen

Following the success of “The Tree of Life” and “Zero Dark Thirty”, numerous studios in Hollywood, including Marvel Studios, expressed interest in Jessica Chastain for various roles. Specifically, they wanted her to portray Maya Hansen, the central scientist in “Iron Man 3”. Despite her initial interest, Chastain declined the offer, citing a full schedule as the reason on her Facebook page. She also mentioned that the media had announced her casting prematurely. Chastain later joined the Marvel Universe in Fox’s “Dark Phoenix”, playing Vuk. However, Maya Hansen was eventually portrayed by Rebecca Hall, who delivered an excellent performance.

Jessica Chastain was wanted for a role in Iron Man 3, but she had to decline due to a busy schedule. She later appeared in Dark Phoenix instead. Maya Hansen was played by someone else.

Russell Crowe – Wolverine

Prior to Hugh Jackman taking on the role, Russell Crowe was initially offered the part of Logan in Fox’s X-Men franchise. At that time, Crowe was one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars. He ultimately declined the role because he had recently played a character with a wolf symbol in his film “Gladiator,” and he didn’t want to be associated with more wolf imagery. Instead, Crowe suggested fellow Australian actor Hugh Jackman for the part. Although Jackman wasn’t initially chosen (the studio first selected Dougray Scott, who later dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with “Mission: Impossible II”), he eventually landed the role that catapulted him to stardom. Later, Crowe joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Zeus in “Thor: Love and Thunder.” To this day, Hugh Jackman remains synonymous with Wolverine.

Matt Damon – Avatar’s Jake Sully

It’s likely no actor has ever turned down a role as costly as Matt Damon did. James Cameron approached him for the lead role in ‘Avatar’, offering him 10% of the movie’s profits, a significant incentive considering his role in ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’. However, Damon was occupied with the Jason Bourne series at that time and had to decline. This decision, he now admits, may have cost him approximately $250 million. That’s a lot of money, enough to buy an enormous amount of the unobtanium mentioned in the film.

Benicio Del Toro – Darth Maul

Benicio Del Toro initially took on the role of Darth Maul in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” but as the character’s part was redefined during pre-production, and George Lucas reduced his dialogue to make Maul a more silent, intimidating figure with exceptional fighting abilities, Del Toro chose to withdraw from the project. In the end, it was Ray Park who played the character to great praise.

Leonardo DiCaprio – Boogie Nights’ Dirk Diggler

In 2008, GQ inquired about the roles Leonardo DiCaprio declined, to which he responded that one such role was Dirk Diggler in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights”. This part eventually catapulted Mark Wahlberg into a major Hollywood leading man. However, DiCaprio found himself at a crossroads between projects and opted to work on a smaller art-house film titled “Titanic”, a tale of romance on the high seas instead. Despite not expressing regret over his decision, DiCaprio acknowledged that he admires both films and wishes he could have been part of both productions.

Harrison Ford – Jurassic Park’s Alan Grant

If you’ve ever watched Jurassic Park and found Alan Grant, played by Sam Neill, with his worn work shirts and hats, reminiscent of Indiana Jones, you were spot on. Before Steven Spielberg considered offering the role to Neill, he initially thought Harrison Ford, who played Indiana Jones, would be ideal for the part. However, Ford read the script and decided against it. Amazingly, Neill joined the project only weeks before filming started, and as a result, he landed one of the most iconic roles in his career.

Jon Hamm – Green Lantern

In the realm of acting, no performer has ever embodied the character Hal Jordan from the Green Lantern comics quite like Jon Hamm, who starred in Mad Men. Consequently, it’s not shocking that Warner Bros. sought Hamm for the role. However, Hamm declined the offer. “They pursued me quite persistently,” he shared later in an interview. “But I replied, ‘Well, that’s not what I’m interested in.'” Hamm confessed that he isn’t particularly fond of superhero films, stating that they aren’t the type of movies he enjoys watching. Interestingly, he seems to have a different opinion when it comes to television adaptations, as Hamm has provided his voice for numerous comic-book series, including Invincible and M.O.D.O.K., where he portrayed Tony Stark in several episodes.

Josh Hartnett – Superman AND Batman

In the early 2000s, Josh Hartnett, a rising star in Hollywood, had the potential to play Superman in “Superman Returns,” a role he ultimately declined. The offer included a three-movie contract worth an estimated $100 million. Remarkably, Hartnett also rejected the chance to portray both members of the World’s Finest team, as he was considered for the role of young Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.” Years after passing on the opportunity, Hartnett admitted it was a mistake. In an interview with Playboy, he stated, “I’ve certainly said no to some of the wrong people.” He declined because he was tired and wanted to spend more time with his loved ones, which is not often appreciated in the entertainment industry.

Jim Henson – Yoda

When George Lucas decided to make wizened Jedi master Yoda a puppet, he first thought Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets and Kermit the Frog’s puppeteer, was the perfect choice for the role. However, Henson had other projects at the moment and recommended that Lucas work with Frank Oz, one of Henson’s long-time collaborators on the Muppets, who performed characters like Fozzy, Miss Piggy, and Animal. Following Henson’s advice, Lucas hired Oz, and the rest, as they say, is film history. (Or, in this case, you could say that the rest was indeed history.)

Hugh Jackman – James Bond

The hunt for the actor to portray the younger James Bond in the origin story ‘Casino Royale’ explored numerous options and eventually settled on Daniel Craig, who later became one of the most renowned 007s. Before Craig was cast, the producers initially offered the role to Hugh Jackman, during his early days as Wolverine in X-Men. However, Jackman declined the offer, reportedly due to concerns about juggling another franchise while missing out on smaller projects that might come his way. Yet, if he’s interested, Amazon is currently searching for a new James Bond – perhaps it’s worth reaching out and finding out if they’re still considering him.

Heath Ledger – Batman

It’s well-known that Heath Ledger eventually portrayed the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, receiving widespread praise. However, before Nolan decided on Ledger as his Joker, he initially wanted him for the role of Batman – offering him the part as the young Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins. Later, Nolan reminisced about their encounter, stating that Ledger was “quite polite” about it but declined the superhero role, telling the director he would never be a part of a superhero film. Once Ledger witnessed Nolan’s unique approach in Batman Begins and saw how distinct it was from the more campy DC films of the era, he agreed to participate in The Dark Knight.

Madonna – Catwoman

Back in the early ’90s, when Tim Burton was gearing up to cast Batman Returns, Madonna was at the zenith of her film career. He extended an offer for me to step into the purr-fect role of Catwoman. The idea of me as Catwoman seems almost serendipitous, but I declined the part. Fast forward to today, and I confess to Jimmy Fallon that turning down Catwoman was a missed opportunity; it certainly would have been an incredibly fierce performance. Michelle Pfeiffer, in the end, embraced the role with her own unique ferocity.

Matthew McConaughey – Ego

In the selection process for Star-Lord’s father in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”, Marvel sought a prominent actor who could convincingly be the father of the charming and handsome Chris Pratt. Given this requirement, they considered Matthew McConaughey, despite the fact that he was only ten years older than Pratt. However, when you’re dealing with immortal space gods, age becomes less of a concern. When asked why he declined the role, McConaughey didn’t bring up the age difference. Instead, he mentioned that he had to choose between “Guardians” and “The Dark Tower”, opting for the latter. He felt that the filmmakers didn’t truly want him or have a clear vision for the character of Ego, but rather they saw it as an opportunity to add another well-known actor to a successful franchise.

Eddie Murphy – Who Framed Roger Rabbit’s Eddie Valiant

Today, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is recognized as a pioneering fusion of live-action and animation. However, before its release, the idea of creating a film with animated characters seamlessly intertwining with real actors for the duration of a 100-minute movie might have seemed like an audacious gamble to many, including Eddie Murphy, who initially declined the opportunity to portray the main human character, Eddie Valiant. As he put it on “The Tonight Show,” “Animation and humans? That sounds like nonsense to me!” But once the movie was released and became a blockbuster, Murphy acknowledged his initial skepticism. According to him, every time he watches it, he feels like a fool.

Initially, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” was seen as a unique mix of live-action and animation. It seemed like an unlikely concept for a movie, even to Eddie Murphy when he declined the offer to play the human lead character, Eddie Valiant. However, after the film’s release and success, Murphy admitted that he had been wrong about its potential. Whenever he watches it now, he feels silly.

Al Pacino – Han Solo

It’s challenging to conceive of Han Solo as anyone other than Harrison Ford, a fact Alden Ehrenreich can attest to. However, Ford wasn’t initially the top pick for the role. At one stage, George Lucas considered Al Pacino, who was already famous from “The Godfather,” to portray the charismatic smuggler. Pacino declined Lucas’ offer because he didn’t grasp the script. Contemplate how different Hollywood might be if Pacino had accepted this part and Ford hadn’t.

Joaquin Phoenix – Doctor Strange

The hunt for Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme was a prolonged process involving several potential candidates such as Ethan Hawke, Oscar Isaac, Keanu Reeves, and ultimately, Joaquin Phoenix. In June of 2014, Phoenix even reportedly discussed playing Doctor Strange with director Scott Derrickson. However, by October, the deal fell through, and eventually, Benedict Cumberbatch became Marvel’s chosen sorcerer. Phoenix later explained, “Everyone was quite content with how things unfolded. All parties were satisfied.” Interestingly enough, Phoenix then took on the role of Joker for Warner Bros, winning an Oscar for his performance. Indeed, everyone seemed pleased, at least until the release of the Joker sequel.

Julia Roberts – Sleepless in Seattle’s Annie

In a twist of fate, the beloved romantic comedy “Sleepless in Seattle” might have turned out differently if Julia Roberts, a highly admired rom-com actress even more than Meg Ryan, hadn’t declined the opportunity to star as the female lead. Reflecting on this decision many years later, Roberts expressed satisfaction and stated that she chose not to be part of the film because it seemed too similar to her previous role in “Pretty Woman,” which she had portrayed a few years prior.

Kurt Russell – Luke Skywalker

As a movie reviewer looking back at the iconic casting process of “Star Wars” in the 1970s, I can’t help but marvel at the close call that almost saw Kurt Russell, a promising young actor, don the role of Luke Skywalker. In the heat of auditions, Russell found himself on Lucas’ shortlist for the intergalactic farmboy part. However, as the casting process lingered, other opportunities beckoned, and Russell posed an ultimatum to Lucas: either he gets the role or he would move on to another project. Unable to provide a firm answer, Lucas watched as Russell walked away, heading off to star in a Western instead. I often wonder how many fruit baskets Mark Hamill must have sent Kurt Russell over the years for this missed opportunity!

Will Smith – Neo

Prior to Keanu Reeves embodying the epitome of cyberpunk charisma in “The Matrix”, the Wachowski siblings had initially approached Will Smith for the role of Neo, the film’s hacker protagonist. Smith attended the meeting and heard their pitch, eventually deciding to star in “Wild Wild West” instead. Later on, Smith clarified that at the time, the Wachowskis had only directed one movie, which made him apprehensive about their capabilities. He further stated, “As it transpired, they were geniuses, but there is a thin line in a pitch meeting between genius and what I encountered during the meeting.

John Travolta – Forrest Gump

When John Travolta agreed to star in “Pulp Fiction,” he turned down another movie, Robert Zemeckis’ “Forrest Gump,” that was set to film around the same period. Both movies were nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, with “Gump” ultimately winning (thanks to Tom Hanks in the lead role). Despite not taking home the award, Travolta’s role as Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction” helped rejuvenate his career. Looking back years later, he expressed no regrets about his choice. So, if you had to choose between being in “Pulp Fiction” or “Forrest Gump,” which would you pick?

Paul Walker – Superman

Due to his popularity from “The Fast and the Furious,” Paul Walker was a highly sought-after young actor when casting started for “Superman Returns.” He even had the chance to play the new Superman, but he declined after discussing it with Richard Donner, who directed Christopher Reeve’s “Superman” and worked with Walker on “Timeline.” When asked if he should take the role, Walker inquired about its necessity. Donner advised him against doing it solely for the money, suggesting that he should only consider it if “you want to do it.” Walker was concerned about being forever associated with the Superman character, and Donner’s response effectively sealed the deal – “That’s your answer.” Thus, Paul Walker did not star in “Superman Returns.

Denzel Washington – Michael Clayton

In 2012, when asked about career regrets by GQ, Denzel Washington expressed that Michael Clayton was the best material he had come across in a while, but he was apprehensive due to it being a director’s first time. However, the part eventually went to George Clooney who made it one of his iconic roles as an actor. It didn’t take long for Washington to acknowledge his error, admitting to GQ, “I was mistaken. It happens.

Bruce Willis – Ghost’s Sam

Bruce Willis initially doubted the success of the script for the movie “Ghost“, which tells the story of a man who dies and tries to reconnect with his wife from beyond the grave. However, he was mistaken as “Ghost” turned out to be the highest-grossing film in 1990 and the most rented VHS title in 1991. Upon reflecting on his decision to turn down the role of the ghost, Willis labeled himself a “knucklehead”. When offered the role in “The Sixth Sense“, Willis made sure not to repeat his previous mistake twice.

2025-04-17 22:03