Gritty Aladdin Noir

So far, we've focused on pretty upbeat projects. This time I thought I'd try to go a little bit further out of the box. Let's remake Aladdin, let's leave all of the Disney characters, because that's the one most people are most familiar with, but set it in 1940's LA. A gritty Aladdin noir, where Aladdin couldn't enlist because of a physical deformity, the Sultan is the mayor, and the genie is a magical homeless man touched by Aladdin's kindness. OK it's hokey, but casting it should be fun.

Characters
Aladdin
The Genie
Jasmine
Jafar
Abu
Iago
The Sultan

Aladdin

At his heart Aladdin is a lovable rascal, and even within the gritty setting we've placed him in, that inherent charm still needs to come out. The trouble with trying to cast the part then, is that in today's age virtually every Arab actor available has gotten most of their experience playing terrorists on "24." Since the best Arab parts, don't even go to Arab actors (see Jake Gyllenhaal) These parts are often so one dimensional that it's impossible to get a good read on an actor's ability from them. I chose Sammy Sheik for the role. While Sheik has polished his skills on "24" he has also had lengthy story arcs on "The United States of Tara" and "In the Moment" while getting big screen experience in "Transformers 3" and a critically acclaimed role in the independent film "The Son of an Afghan Farmer." While I would prefer to cast the lead with someone with more experience in major films, I have to work with who's availalbe and Sheik is certainly a good catch.

The Genie

In order to change this from the fun cartoon to a gritty noir drama, the character of the Genie is the one that has to change the most. As a homeless man with mystical powers, it's important the characters sincerity shine through and let us believe that he really just wants to be Aladdin's friend. It's the perfect part for a late career Jimmy Stewart, but considering he's no longer with us, the modern day Stewart, Tom Hanks, would also be able to embody that sincere friendship. Hanks, however, spends most of his time these days producing and getting him for a project other than his own (or Toy Story) seems nigh to impossible. Peter MacNicol, whose career is just starting to turn toward film with his turn in this summer's "Battleship" is best known for his off the wall TV characters. MacNicol's subdued quirkiness is just the kind of balance this otherwise serious piece needs.


Jasmine
For sheer appearance's sake my first thought was to go with Melissa Molinaro, however an actress best known as a Kim Kardashian look alike, whose last film credit is as Nooki in "Jersey Shore Shark Attack" is not exactly a presence conducive to a serious movie. Besides, Molinaro is Canadian. Zina Zaflow, who is from Iranian descent, has the smart, sexy and powerful chops to do justice to the princess. Zaflow, who is also a screen writer, is perhaps best known for her powerful moment on "The West Wing."




Jafar
My first thought for Jafar was Jeremy Irons, who provided the voice for the similar Disney baddie Jafar. Irons, however, is now getting older and has started to move his career in a gentler direction. Since making the nefarious Jafar grounded is the key to making this remake work, it needs to be cast with an actor who can bring a present vitality to it. For this task I can think of no better actor today than Daniel Day-Lewis. Day-Lewis is regarded as one of the pickiest actors in Hollywood, but how could he pass up this gritty Oscar bait. Day Lewis has proved in films such as "There Will Be Blood" and "Gangs of New York" that no one brings more life and dimension to the most nefarious of characters. With Daniel Day-Lewis anchoring the cast, the pieces for a great film seem to slip into place.

The Sultan

Omar Sharif-Dr. Zhivago himself. If there is a living actor that could stand face to face with Daniel Day-Lewis and you not know which one is the better actor, Sharif may be the entire list. While the actor who celebrated his 80th birthday last week, has gone into semi-retirement, he still will perform for the right part. Certainly he brings the presence needed to be both the powerful mayor and overbearing father, while still allowing the audience to root for and love his character. As the elder statesman of the cast, Sharif acts as a kind of cherry on top of the ensemble.