Marwan Kenzari will play Jafar in Disney’s live-action “Aladdin” reboot, to be directed by Guy Ritchie.
He joins Naomi Scott as Jasmine, Mena Massoud, who will portray the title character, and Will Smith, who will voice Genie (a role made famous by Robin Williams in the animated classic). Nasim Pedrad has also joined the cast as a handmaid and friend to Jasmine.
John August, whose credits include “Big Fish,” wrote the new “Aladdin” script. Dan Lin, who produced Ritchie’s two “Sherlock Holmes” movies for Warner, is also producing “Aladdin” through his Lin Pictures company.
“Aladdin” was the highest-grossing film of the year in 1992, and won Oscars for best score and best song for “A Whole New World.”
Kenzari can be seen next in Fox’s “Murder on the Orient Express” playing the conductor.
He recently appeared in “The Mummy” opposite Tom Cruise, “Ben-Hur,” and “The Promise.”