Will Smith to Return as Genie in Disney's "Aladdin 2"

Hollywood actor Will Smith found himself at the heart of controversy back in March 2022, after he approached comedian Chris Rock and slapped him on stage. The moment followed a joke Rock made about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Now, ten months later, Smith has landed his first new role - and it's a big one from Disney. 

Smith is said to return as the Genie in the upcoming "Aladdin 2". He first played the blue supernatural being in 2019's "Aladdin", a live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated movie. It was based on the Arabic folktale of the same name.

A source claimed the "Aladdin 2" script is loosely based on the "One Thousand And One Nights series of Middle Eastern folk tales" and is set to begin filming at the end of the year.

"This would be one of the first movies Will has shot since the Oscars slap and it is quite surprising, given that it will be for a kids’ film," the insider told The Sun.

The source pointed out that Smith has done a lot of work on himself. 

"The consensus is that it will all be very much in the past by the time the movie is released."

The 2019 Aladdin movie was a major success. The Guy Ritchie-directed picture earned a staggering $1 billion at the box office on a $183 million budget.

"The first film was a huge success. So it would be silly not to make another, and it would be a real shame to have to re-cast Will over what happened. So Disney is keen to stand by him and bring him back into the fold."