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Guy Ritchie has made a career out of movies about charming streetwise hoods, so he seems like a natural choice to direct Disney’s live-action reimagining of Aladdin, which opens this weekend. Ritchie directed the remake from a screenplay he cowrote with John August, based on a script by Ron Clements, John Musker, and Ted Elliot & Terry Rosio. Starring Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Nasim Pedrad, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, and Billy Magnussen, Aladdin opens in theaters this weekend.

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Image via Disney

We got to sit down with the director and talk to him about the film. Check out the interview above. Aladdin is now playing in theaters everywhere.

Guy Ritchie discusses:

  • How he wanted to make something his five children could watch
  • How his early days of directing music videos came in handy while staging the movie’s elaborate dance sequences and musical numbers.
  • How Aladdin would fit in with the characters in his earlier films like Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.
  • How many wishes Jason Statham would get out of the Genie.

Here’s the official synopsis for Aladdin:

A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, “Aladdin” is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, “Aladdin” is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s “Aladdin.” The film stars Will Smith as the Genie; Mena Massoud as Aladdin; Naomi Scott as Jasmine; Marwan Kenzari as Jafar; Navid Negahban as the Sultan; Nasim Pedrad as Dalia; Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders; and Numan Acar as Hakim.

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Image via Disney
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Image via Disney
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Image via Disney