Aladdin: Will Smith reveals he was hesitant to play Genie, says it was tough to match up to Robin Williams' performance

Fans have a lot of concerns about Disney’s upcoming _Aladdin_ remake, prominent among them being the role of Will Smith as the Genie. Smith understands all the debate and doubt around his role. When he appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Monday, he paid deep respect to the first genie from the 1992 animated film, voiced by Robin Williams. He explained that his original response was to refute the role, because Williams had done a smashing job, and there was nothing left to add. [caption id=“attachment_6693781” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Still from the film Aladdin.
Source: Twitter.[/caption] However, he explains that after meeting director Guy Ritchie, Smith started focusing on the music. He had a revelation when he reached ‘Friend Like Me’, and sampling other songs, came up with a rap. He then went on to perform some of the rap on the Fallon show, giving audiences a taste of what they can expect from his role in the film, especially in terms of music. Smith explains his approach to the role to Forbes. “Disney magic is real. There’s something that Walt Disney did in the design of these stories (at the) core of these stories is something that (taps) the inner child within. It forces you to come alive and smile and appreciate the moments.” This is Smith’s first ever Disney movie, and accompanying him as Jasmine is co-star Naomi Scott . Aladdin is played by Mena Massoud. The film is set to be a classic Disney live-action remake, with grand musical spectacles.