No. No for so many reasons. In sports, there is a reason that sometimes they retire people’s jerseys. It might be time to consider the same things with roles in movies. Robin Williams is and always will be the Genie from Aladdin. In the same way that Gene Wilder is and always will be Willy Wonka. You remember what happened there, don’t you?
What sets Williams’ role apart from other Disney voice roles is that so much of what we saw on screen was based on his in-studio improvisation. It makes his performance truly unique within the pantheon of Disney films.
This leads us to the new report from Deadline. It seems that Will Smith is currently in talks to pick up the role of Genie for the upcoming, Guy Ritchie directed, live action remake of the film. The movie is part of Disney’s current plan to remake pretty much every animated film that they’ve ever released as live action (Good luck with Rescuers Down Under!).
Production is set to begin in July and run for more than six month. The thought is that, because of his background as a hit rapper, Smith would be able to handle the musical aspects of the film.
No deal has been made as of yet, but you can bet that Disney is itching to get someone on board soon, especially if they want to start filming in the next 90 days.