Aladdin producer confirms live-action sequel is "in the early stages," so there's still time to stop this thing
As with Disney’s other live-action and “live-action, wink wink” remakes, Aladdin made a lot of money. In scientific terms, it generated a “metric crap-ton of cash dollars,” so we probably don’t need to tell you that the folks at Disney are already pondering a sequel to keep that money train chug-chug-chugging along. Speaking with SYFY WIRE, producer Dan Lin confirmed that a sequel to Aladdin is “in the early stages”—a little egg, if you will. But don’t let its nascent size fool you; this thing is ready to evolve into a full-blown Will Smith-shaped larva at any moment. To the layman, Lin’s comments may appear harmless. I submit to you that they are actually thinly-veiled threats:
People clearly loved the movie and watched it multiple times and we get lots of fan letters and people asking us to make Return [of] Jafar, and I can just tell you that we’re in early stages right now, but we’re certainly talking about another movie. Like with Aladdin, it will not be a straight remake of any movie that’s been made before, so we’re looking at ‘where’s the best way to go with these characters.’
The sequel Lin refers to is The Return Of Jafar, the direct-to-video follow-up to the animated Aladdin movie. You probably rented it as a child because even at a very young age, Disney instilled a strong sense of brand-loyalty in your tiny noggin. But that’s probably all you remember about the movie, in which Jason Alexander voiced a bumbling thief who frees Jafar from the Genie’s lamp. Thankfully, Iago (Gilbert Gottfried, the true Iago) has become pals with Aladdin and Jasmine so he can help them defeat his former master. The basic plot of this sequel might inspire the inevitable live-action sequel, so do your homework now. Stay vigilant. Be prepared (wait, that’s The Lion King).