Aladdin 2 was confirmed by Disney shortly after the release of Guy Ritchie’s 2019 live-action Aladdin remake. However, with almost five years passing since viewers were introduced to Mena Massoud’s Aladdin and Will Smith’s take on the Genie, the future of the next live-action Aladdin movie is in doubt. There have been several updates from the cast and Guy Ritchie teasing development on the movie, but word from Disney has been suspiciously — and worryingly — quiet.
The 2019 Aladdin was a surprisingly successful box-office hit, making the 2020 confirmation of Aladdin 2 somewhat unsurprising. Despite initial momentum on the sequel being strong, however, the project soon stalled into uncertainty. While it’s not been officially released written-off yet the release date of the live-action Aladdin 2 feels further away than ever before.
Most Recent Live-Action Aladdin 2 News
The latest news on a sequel to the live-action Aladdin throws serious doubt on Aladdin 2 ever seeing a release date. Mena Massoud, the star of Guy Ritchie’s 2019 Aladdin movie, gave a rather disheartening update on the sequel in March 2023. Speaking to a fan on Twitter in a now-deleted tweet, the actor was candid about his fears for Aladdin 2 and the future of the franchise.
The response was brief, with Massoud simply stating Aladdin 2 was “very unlikely at this point”. Given that his comment was made almost three years after the 2019 release date of the original, and that Disney are reportedly scaling back new content in 2023 (via CNBC), it might be that the live-action Aladdin 2 isn’t happening after all.
The Live-Action Aladdin Sequel Was Confirmed
At one point it was widely reported that Aladdin 2 was confirmed. The announcement that Disney was moving forward with the sequel came in 2020 (via THR). However, there’s been little official news on the live-action Aladdin sequel since, and comments from star Mena Massoud seem to indicate Disney’s initial eagerness to move forward with a new Aladdin movie was short-lived.
Is Aladdin 2 In Production?
While the live-action Aladdin 2 hasn’t been cancelled, it does seem that work on it has stalled indefinitely. There’s no Aladdin sequel release date on the cards. Director Guy Ritchie spoke about Aladdin 2 in February 2023, stating “We have been kicking some ideas around for some time now, but it'd be great to do, it would be great to go back there.” The way Ritchie has framed the conversation as going back to the project, rather than it being something he was presently working on, speaks volumes.
Aladdin 2 Live-Action Cast
Should the next movie be a live-action Return of Jafar it’s incredibly likely that Marwan Kenzari (Ghosted, Black Adam) would reprise his role as the villainous Jafar. However, should the sequel go in a different direction, it’s possible that Aladdin 2 will have a new protagonist. Additionally, since there have been talks about a spinoff show based on his character, Billy Magnussen (No Time To Die, The Great Gilly Hopkins) would probably be back as inept suitor Prince Anders.
What’s less clear is whether Will Smith, arguably the most widely-recognized star in the live-action Aladdin franchise so far, would return for the sequel. However, since he’s playing the mystical genie, recasting his character wouldn’t prove too difficult (the change in appearance and voice could be explained away with magic).
Live-Action Aladdin 2 Story
The plot of Aladdin 2 is unclear, although much of the interest in the sequel of course stems from the possibility of a live-action Return of Jafar. The 1994 direct-to-VHS sequel to the original Aladdin is widely considered one of Disney’s stronger animated follow-ups. The plot, as the title suggests, saw Jafar return to once again cause havoc. While a simple premise it’s an engaging story, and one that could be easily tapped for the live-action Aladdin 2.
When Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin 2 was first announced in 2020 screenwriters John Gatins (Real Steel) and Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton) had been attached to create the story. Since the project appears to have stalled in the years since, it’s unknown if they’re still on board, or what their plans for the plot of the new Aladdin movie were.
There were reports that Disney was looking at stories from other Middle Eastern folk tales to adapt for Aladdin 2 rather than adapting Return of Jafar. Unfortunately, it seems that, unless the project suddenly picks up momentum again, the story for the live-action Aladdin sequel will forever remain a mystery.
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