‘Aladdin’ Spinoff With Billy Magnussen’s Character in the Works for Disney Plus
Click here to read the full article.
Disney is developing a spinoff of its live-action “Aladdin” with Billy Magnussen reprising his Prince Anders character.
The unnamed project is in early development for the studio’s recently launched Disney Plus streaming service. Disney has hired Jordan Dunn and Michael Kvamme to write a script centered on the haughty Prince Anders, one of Princess Jasmine’s suitors.
More from Variety
Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, producers of “Aladdin,” are producing the spinoff through their Rideback company. Rideback’s Ryan Halprin will executive produce.
“Aladdin” became the 41st title to cross the $1 billion worldwide box office mark in July. It opened with $117 million over the Memorial Day holiday and easily outperformed Disney’s pre-opening domestic projections along with underlining the validity of the studio’s strategy of rebooting its animated classics such as “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Jungle Book.”
In this case, it remade the original 1992 animated movie with Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Will Smith as the Genie, Naomi Scott as Jasmine and Marwan Kenzari as Jafar. Guy Ritchie directed.
Disney’s announcement of the project comes during the same week that Massoud, a native of Egypt who grew up in Canada, said he had not gotten a single audition since the release of “Aladdin” despite its massive box office success.
“I’m kind of tired of staying quiet about it,” he said in an interview with The Daily Beast. “I want people to know that it’s not always dandelions and roses when you’re doing something like ‘Aladdin.’ ‘He must have made millions. He must be getting all these offers.’ It’s none of those things.”
Magnussen’s credits include “Game Night,” “The Big Short” and “Into the Woods.” He will next be seen in the James Bond movie “No Time to Die.”
Dunn and Kvamme have set up “Operation Prince of Freedom” at Fox and an esports project set up at Legendary that has Will Ferrell attached to star. Rideback-produced awards contender “The Two Popes,” starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, is currently in theaters.
Magnussen is repped by WME and Anonymous Content.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.