Disney finds Aladdin and Jasmine with Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott

Disney has banked two relatively newcomers Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott for its upcoming movie musical, Aladdin. The duo joins the only other talent cast for the Disney musical – Will Smith, who will be playing the role of Genie. Disney production President Sean Bailey has revealed the news on Saturday, at the D23 Expo, that Massoud will star as the scrappy Aladdin while ‘Pink Power Ranger’ Scott will be seen playing the role of Jasmine in the live-action adaptation of the 1992 super-hit animated film. English filmmaker Guy Ritchie, who is known for his crime films, will be directing the movie. Dan Lin, who worked with Ritchie on Sherlock Holmes, is producing via his Lin Pictures banner, with Jonathan Eirich acting as the executive producer. Producer Marc Platt, who worked on Disney’s upcoming Mary Poppins Returns, and Chris Montan, a longtime executive music producer for Disney’s animated projects, from Pocahontas to Frozen, are both providing  consultation on the ambitious project. Shoot for the Disney’s latest instalment in Disney’s long line of lucrative live-action adaptations of their classic animated films is set to begin in August, in London. Other live-actions of the multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate include the upcoming Mulan movie, from director Niki Caro, and Jon Favreau’s The Lion King. However, Disney is currently on the hunt for villain Jafar, who will likely be played by a renowned actor. Other roles yet to be filled include the Sultan and Jafar’s sidekick, Iago. Born in Egypt and raised in Canada, Massoud is part of the cast of Amazon’s Jack Ryan series starring John Krasinski, and previously appeared in the TeenNick series Open Heart. Scott, on the other hand, is a British actress and singer whose mother is from northern India. She has also appeared in the film The 33 and the Fox series Terra Nova.