Disney has released a teaser trailer for its live-action version of Aladdin, giving fans their first look at the highly anticipated song and dance extravaganza.
The titular “street rat” is played by Canadian actor Mena Massoud, with Brit Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine - but it’s Will Smith as the Genie that has got the internet in a spin.
The wish-granting sidekick stole the show in the 1992 animation, in which he was memorably voiced by Robin Williams... but it turns out that a blue-skinned character is pretty hard to pull off in live action.
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Most reactions focused on Smith’s unnerving appearance, with many expressing disbelief that a big-budget production could produce such unconvincing CGI:
Many compared Smith’s blue makeover to a storyline from US sitcom Arrested Development, which saw David Cross’s Tobias Funke attempt to join the Blue Man Group with a homemade paint job.
For many, the dodgy CGI was made even more unsettling by Smith’s familiar features:
One thing is certain: based on first impressions, Smith’s take on the Genie won’t be giving the Williams version a run for its money.
Aladdin will arrive in cinemas on 24 May.
