Aladdin: 12 ways the new remake stands out from the Robin Williams animated original

Director Guy Ritchie has updated the movie, empowering Naomi Scott’s character Jasmin, while Mena Massoud’s Aladdin does not go shirtless

Williams’ memorable song, Friend Like Me, is given a hip-hop spin by Will Smith as Genie and DJ Khaled

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Mena Massoud stars as Aladdin in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic. Photo: AP

Published: 11:00am, 24 May 2019Updated: 8:49pm, 24 May 2019

The story of the diamond in the rough is back, with some of the rough spots worked out.

Disney’s live-action version of Aladdin debuts this week, 27 years after its animated original. Writer-director Guy Ritchie gives the story some necessary updates, like having Jasmine (Naomi Scott) aspire for more than choosing the right husband.

“We love the original movie, but when you watch it now, there are some things that are dated,” says producer Dan Lin on the purple carpet of the film’s world premiere at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre. “Some of the political issues and the way they treat women just needed to be updated for today.”

We spoke with Scott, Mena Massoud (Aladdin), and other cast and crew members about the many modifications made to the 1992 classic.

1. The costumes are more conservative

Sorry, Mena Massoud fans, Aladdin is not shirtless in the new film. Those midriff tops worn by Jasmine and other women of Agrabah did not make it past costume designer Michael Wilkinson, either. “I think my wife told me, ‘If you put Jasmine in a midriff, I’m divorcing you,’” says producer Jonathan Eirich.