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Will Smith's 20-year-old son Jaden was the first person to understand the potential of what his father might do with a larger-than-life Genie. Will was struggling to choose his next film, "My son Jaden asked me to tell him the stories from the film. Then I started narrating him the stories, and the last one was the Genie. He looked at the screenplay, grabbed the other ones and threw them on the floor, and he was like, 'Duh, you have the chance to play the Genie? Go for it.' Jaden made the decision."
Will was present in Amman, Jordan for the first regional screening of his upcoming live-action Disney movie Aladdin which is a wildly styled imagination of the old classic. Also present were his co-stars Naomi Scott and Mena Massoud along with the film's director, Guy Ritchie.
The joy of giving back love to the society was another reason that inspired him to play this shape-shifting good-hearted blue entity who is confined to an oil lamp.
"When I look at the Genie and what it represents - it is the definition of unconditional love. When someone is going to dedicate all their gifts, time and energy in trying to figure out how to make others happy, it was such an amazing energy for me to play with because I am seeking that in my personal life right now. I want to be able to give my gifts. I hope my efforts will be received well and that it will bring love and light in peoples lives."
We spent an entire day with the team of Aladdin, and it was evident from the energy at the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, where the press conference took place, that Disney is trying something pathbreaking with this film. After all, how often do we get to see a brown princess in a Disney film who is courageous, fiesty and wants to use her power to serve her people? The makers of this film are pushing forward the movement of inclusion in the Hollywood film industry. Naomi is a British actress with a partial Indian background, whereas Mena is a Canadian of Egyptian origin, and Nasim Pedrad is an American of Iranian origin. The success of movies like Crazy Rich Asians, Get Out, Us, Black Panther etc. have brought forward people of colour at the forefront.
"I asked Will to be Will"
Robin Williams immortalised the character of Genie in the 1992 animated movie of the same name. Will gave him a tribute by saying that Robin revolutionised what actors thought they could do in an animated film, "He opened up a world in a way that there was no room for improvement. I was trying to figure out where there was some meat left in the bone, where there was room to do new things. The music was my way to get in. The hip hop energy to the Genie was how I started to see how I could capture the nostalgia that Robin captured, and it would still feel like the same Genie, but there would be references that would lean slightly more 1990's hip hop. That was the way I found the narrow path to walk the edge. Every single talent that I cultivated over 30 years was utilised in this movie, except for boxing. I don't know how I will go into my next movie without being able to sing, dance, rap, and do action, comedy, and drama. This film was one of the best experiences of my professional career."
Guy Ritchie, who is famous for directing Sherlock Holmes, the Man from U.N.C.L.E added that Will's principal concern was making sure that he did not disturb the nostalgia and the brilliance of William's iconic performance. And hence, his job as a director was to 'encourage Will to be more Will.'
"Genie in Blue is 100% CGI character"
Will also stressed on the fact that the Genie in blue is 100 % CGI character, "There is none of that character which is my actual face - it is not my eyes, it is not my face and not my body. It is 100% computer generated, so the artist has done such a great job with the blue Genie that it looks likes me painted blue but it's not. What that allowed me is that I had so many different opportunities to try different things. So we do one scene on set, where I would do my scene with actors, and then we would go into the motion capture, and then if we wanted to change a line or do something different, we could make adjustments. And then Guy would cut it together, and I would have another opportunity towards the end to make a further adjustment. It was a perfect opportunity to go and get every line, move, and facial expressions.
Filming in Jordan
The principal photography of Aladdin was done in the U K, as well as in the Hashemite Kingdom of southern Jordan.
The production filmed on the stunning desert vistas of Wadi Rum and Wadi Disi in Jordan where the classic Lawrence of Arabia was shot. The Royal Film Commission provided support to the production during filming. Around 150 Jordanians were hired to support the existing U K crew.
Having seen the film already, we can vouch for the fact that Naomi Scott is one of the best surprises in this film. She is bound to blow you away with her take on the modernised version of Jasmine who is more ambitious than the previous version of the character. Jasmine fights for the choice to marry who she wants to marry. Naomi's Jasmine intends to fight for the freedom and liberty of her people. She is fighting against the idea that she can't lead because she is a woman. We are not surprised that Naomi has already grabbed another Hollywood biggie. She is one of the three lead 'Angels' in the new 2019 Elizabeth Banks directed reboot film of Charlie's Angels, along with Kristen Stewart and Ella Balinska.
Naomi Scott: Hollywood's Next Big Thing
It is a welcome change to see a princess of colour in a Disney film. Did you feel a sense of responsibility every time you went on set?
Every day on set, it felt like as I was thinking of all the little girls of colour who would watch me and I took that with me every day. It was vital to me. I was consciously thinking of what I was putting out there. I also thought if I was seven years old in 2019, what would I want to see? One of the thing that I connected with Jasmine is that I could be her. She was my princess, and I saw myself in her, and that is something so powerful.
There is a song featuring you that comes before the climax - where you are held captive. You look vulnerable yet so strong. The song gives you a complete platter to show your emotional range, and you make full use of it. How long did you rehearse for that song?
When you say that I was vulnerable yet strong is so amazing because, for some reason, we put this feminine quality into this box that it is weak to be vulnerable and that's not leadership quality. I think that it's the complete opposite. I believe there are certain qualities that we (women) bring that makes for a well-rounded leader. How long did I prepare? I wanted to feel at the moment. For me the timing of the song and when we shot it was very crucial as a lot was going in the world with women speaking out of what was happening to them and being very courageous about that. I took on that feeling like you have been silenced or you have been knocked out, or you are not allowed to speak the truth. I took all of those things, and I wanted to convey what she was feeling in the moment and it's not just the performance.
It was Guy's idea of keeping the camera handheld, keeping it very connected and just following me on the journey. I wanted to feel angry, raw, and to feel the emotions to its core. You can find strength in weakness, and that's another thing to show. It was an emotional experience, and it was indeed the best day for me.
There's a movement going on about the representation of people of colour in mainstream Hollywood films, do you think the last two years have been a game changer?
There's always more to be done; however, I do love the fact that we are getting rid of some of these myths that were created of what movies can work at the box office. We just had Captain Marvel that made a billion dollars featuring a female lead, we had Beauty and the Beast, and we had Wonder Woman, and they all did incredibly well. I love the fact that we are busting those myths. We just had Black Panther with an all-black cast. And Crazy Rich Asians, I love that movie because its a film that is timeless. There is a significant cultural shift happening now, and I think for people of colour, I want to see lots of different types of people of colour - the evil person, the right person, the lousy person, etc - not just one thing. I feel so blessed and proud of our diverse cast. I hope that it inspires the next generations.
What kind of movies influenced you while you were growing up?
For me, I did love the Disney classics. Mulan is a perfect example of a film that inspired me. I gravitate towards any film that has a strong female narrative. Even the movie that is coming up next film for me - Charlies Angels, which is the most iconic female agent spy movie. We made that film even more relevant for 2019.
Mena on inclusion, FaceTiming co-star Naomi and being a vegan
Disney took some time to finalise the male lead since they originally wanted to find a singer-dancer who could act. Later on, along with the director Guy Ritchie, they decided that they wanted the opposite - an actor who could pull off dancing scenes. That's when Mena Massoud came into the picture. Mena plays the charming street rat Aladdin who wants to leave his life of petty thievery behind, as he believes that he is destined for bigger things. He is also instrumental in encouraging Jasmine to become a leader, reflective of the changes in Disney's modern and progressive take on this film.
We saw a photo in which you are on your knees adjusting Naomi's dress during the Berlin premiere. Did you guys become good friends during filming?
She is one of my good friends. We often talk to each other even after we wrapped. She went off and worked on Charlie's Angel, and I went on and did another project but we facetime and check on each other. I Iove her. She is a beautiful human being.
Will Smith is one of the most admired actors in this world. What did you learn from him?
I was on set a lot, almost every day. Every time he would come on set, he would say hello to everyone, his presence would lift the energy. I learned that's what makes a superstar. It's not your film or how much money it makes at the box office, but how you treat other people.
There's a movement going on about the representation of people of colour in the mainstream Hollywood films, do you think the last two years have been a game changer?
We do still have a long way to go, especially in certain ethnicities and cultural groups. But with Rami Malek winning the oscar with Bohemian Rhapsody and now this film coming out. Me, Naomi, Nasim and everyone in this cast is diverse, and hopefully, we can show that these films can be successful and Hollywood can go in that direction.
You are a vegan. Did you convert anyone else to veganism on the set?
I started a company called Evolving Vegan and our mission is to encourage people to eat more plant-based and be more conscious of the way they eat and the way that the environment is affected by that. My mission is not to convert people to veganism but to make them aware that eating more plant-based is healthier for you and better for the environment.
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