Tags: Aladdin, Billy Magnussen, Disney, Orientalism
The creators of the live action Aladdin remake somehow managed to find a way to include a white person.
Billy Magnussen, of Into the Woods, will be playing a new character, in the film. He is supposedly a prince who is rivaling Aladdin for Jasmine’s hand. This is not a character from the original animated film but a new role created for the live action.
I’ve been critical of the movie in the past, so I’m not really surprised that the folks who decided to make a movie with orientalist foundations have to include a white person. It is, after all, a movie by and for white people.
Why did they add a white prince to #Aladdin? This is going to be a disaster 🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/0Hjrs2FNzT
— Jovanny Evans (@jobonito) September 6, 2017
The gentrification of Agrabah has begun. Next up, gourmet, artisanal hummus. https://t.co/UbTgBDU2of
— Jen | currenty TATBILB obsessed (@darlinginmyway) September 6, 2017
The movie has also come into fire for not hiring an Arab actor to play Jasmine–although to be fair, no one really knows where Agrabah is located but it vaguely seems to take place in the Middle East. Either way, no one really knows what’s happening with Aladdin’s live action remake.
so they "couldn't find" a middle Eastern Jasmine but they can add a completely new made up WHITE GUY https://t.co/YqYUQ8OLBF
— tori (@rvengeofthesith) September 6, 2017
THEY WILL BEND OVER BACKWARDS TO INSERT A WHITE CHARACTER OUT OF THIN AIR.#Aladdin #BillyMagnussen https://t.co/hnSmTfOSTb pic.twitter.com/WkzQP12pI5
— Jenny Yang (at TED conference) (@jennyyangtv) September 6, 2017
As of yet, no outlet seems to have a comment from the Disney studio making the film about the casting decision.
For a movie that has already had to grapple with the frustration of orientalism, adding a made-up white character to lighten up the complexion of the narrative serves no one. Let’s see if Disney listens to their fans and makes the right move.