Despite holding numerous open casting calls and talent searches, Disney is reportedly struggling to cast the actors for the upcoming Aladdin movie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, more than 2,000 people have auditioned for the roles of Jasmine and Aladdin, but finding a male in his 20s of Middle Eastern descent have been extremely difficult.
A talent search started last March to find the stars for the upcoming musical feature film. The movie’s director, Guy Ritchie and casting director Randi Hiller, reportedly hired casting directors from around the world to find the actor to play Aladdin the upcoming film. However, it has been too difficult to find the right actor for the movie.
The first casting calls pointed out that production was supposed to start in July, but the talent search is still dragging on.
Actors Dev Patel and Riz Ahmed were reportedly the frontrunners for the movie. But, The Hollywood Reporter reports that the actor to play Aladdin will most likely be a newcomer.
Ultimately, Disney is focused on casting the right actor for the movie. As THR points out, an extensive casting process helped create successful films. In fact, it took a long time for casting directors to find Lily James to play Cinderella and Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Moreover, this is a huge investment for Disney. Disney has made billions by creating live-action versions of animated classics. For instance, Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson made $1.3 billion.