Finding Aladdin
The under-representation of non-white actors in Hollywood is put to the test more than ever with the producers of the liveaction adaptation of Aladdin having a hard time casting the eponymous part.
According to E! News, the role of Aladdin calls for a 20-something male who can sing and dance. The preference is for an actor who is of Middle Eastern or Indian descent.
The report quoted a PBS study of the top 100 films in 2014 where it found that only 5.3 percent of the characters were portrayed by Asian actors. And with the uproar of constant white-washing in Hollywood, there is no way the role of Aladdin will go to a white actor.
Since it was emphasized that the role is preferably Middle Eastern or Indian, The Night Of's Riz Ahmed and
Slumdog Millionaire's Dev Patel quickly came to mind.
Ahmed, 34, is British Pakistani. He rose to prominence playing the lead role in HBO's The Night Of, where he received acting nominations. He also appeared in the films Nightcrawler, Jason
Bourne and Rogue One. Patel, on the other hand, is a 27-year-old British Indian actor. He first started acting in the teenage series Skins, which also starred Nicholas Hoult and Joe Dempsie. But it was Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire that got Patel worldwide recognition. He received his first Oscar nomination this year for Lion.
But according to E! News, the role could also go to a newcomer, following the case of casting Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, newcomers being eyed for the role are American actor George Kosturos, Canadian actor Mena Massoud and Dutch actor Achraf Koutet.
The role of Jasmine will depend on the casting of Aladdin since chemistry is needed between the two leads. But two names have stood out so far: Naomi Scott of Power
Rangers and Indian actress beloved by Western audience, Tara Sutaria.
Over 2,000 men have reportedly already read for the part but director Guy Ritchie is yet to find his man.
Will Smith is in talks to play the Genie, but Ritchie is mum about the actor's commitment.
"I can't give you any updates. I mean, I like Will Smith very much. It would make me very happy to be making it with him, but the whole thing is very exciting. I'm looking forward to it," Ritchie said last May.