Viewers will see a reinvented, multi-faceted version of Jasmine in Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin, British-Indian actor Naomi Scott told The Hollywood Reporter. Scott, who plays the princess of Agrabah in the movie, said the new Jasmine will be “multi-dimensional” and “well-rounded” in Guy Ritchie’s adaption of the musical-romance-fantasy that will be released in 2019, Scott said.
Scott, whose mother is from North India, appeared most recently as Kimberly Hayet in the 2017 Power Rangers film.
“Being a female character is also about being a real person, and guess what? [She] can be strong and have fun, but also get it wrong and be emotional,” Scott told The Hollywood Reporter. “She’s a multidimensional woman, and she doesn’t have to just be one thing. So in this movie, you see her go on such a roller coaster, as opposed to her one goal being to fall in love or get married.”
Unlike in the 1992 Walt Disney animation movie Aladdin, where her only companion was a tiger named Rajah, Scott’s Jasmine will be accompanied by a handmaiden named Dalia. “I never realised it, but in the animation, Jasmine is really the only female character – isn’t that crazy?” Scott said. “The Dalia character is so important to this movie because she’s the only other female character. She may be the handmaiden but they’re best friends; they’re so close because they’ve grown up together.”
The live-action Aladdin remake stars Mena Massoud as the titular character, while Will Smith plays the genie. Marwan Kenzari, Nasim Pedrad and Billy Magnussen are also part of the cast. Aladdin will hit the screens on May 24, 2019.
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