One of the most iconic songs from Disney's 1992 animated film Aladdin was inspired by the Man of Steel. In celebration of the film's 30th anniversary, Aladdin co-director John Musker spoke with Yahoo! Movies about the inspiration for the iconic song "A Whole New World."

Musker co-directed Aladdin with Ron Clements. "A Whole New World" was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Tim Rice. By the time the song is performed in the film, Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) has rejected multiple suitors who wish to be her husband. This includes Aladdin (Scott Weinger), who came to the palace in disguise as Prince Ali. Although the two had met before in the market, Jasmine doesn't recognize Aladdin at first. During the song, Aladdin takes Jasmine on a ride on the magic carpert, as they fly through the air to see different sites. "We wanted a musicalised, ultimate dream date scene where Aladdin takes Jasmine flying on his carpet," said Musker about the song. The song also marks a turning point in their relationship, where Jasmine starts to recognize Aladdin in his prince disguise, and the two become closer.

Musker also talked about how "A Whole New World" was inspired by director Richard Donner's 1978 film Superman. "We were influenced by the Superman movie where Christopher Reeve takes Margot Kidder's Lois Lane on this amazing date," he said. In Superman, the Man of Steel offers to take Lois with him on a flight after she interviews him for an article for The Daily Planet. Lois agrees, and Superman takes her on a flight to different sites. Similar to Princess Jasmine with Aladdin, Lois' feelings for Superman grow during their flight. The film also has a moment where the Lois' thoughts can be heard, showing how she sees Superman.

Christopher Reeve

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Musker also talked about the lasting impact that "A Whole New World" has had since it first appeared on the big screen three decades ago. "Did we know 'A Whole New World' would become a staple of ice skating shows for the next 30 years? No, but kudos to Alan and Tim," said Musker. "It's stood the test of time and become part of the fabric of American musical theatre." The song went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was later performed by Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott in director Guy Ritchie's 2019 live action Aladdin remake.

Aladdin, along with its two sequels, is currently is available to stream on Disney+. In the meantime, check out the song below: