After months of teasing, we were finally introduced to the latest version of the wise-cracking, wish-granting Genie, a character immortalized by the late Robin Williams and played this time around by Will Smith. And people are freaking out.
People Are Freaking Out About Will Smith's Genie in the New Aladdin Trailer
Disney dropped a new trailer for its upcoming live action remake of 1992s animated classic Aladdin during last nights Grammys. And while much of the footage in the trailer will feel familiar to fans of the original (the iconic tiger-headed entrance to the Cave of Wonders makes an appearance), one aspect of the trailer has proven quite controversial.
The Best Twitter Reactions to the Aladdin Trailer
I feel nothing but a deep primal fear towards Will Smith as the new Genie. His ears are so big and his forehead stretches into infinity. I want to kill him with fire. Why do we have to suffer? A new #Aladdin film is just pointless. Please God, save us from this hell. pic.twitter.com/ogUlgDdkqN - almighty axolotl (@almightyaxolotl) February 11, 2019
Will Smith Genie gave me such a fright. Havent been this spooked since those Gushers commercials. pic.twitter.com/8qr8NlsaG2 - Cameron Scheetz (@cameronscheetz) February 11, 2019
With the help of uncanny valley CGI and costume jewelery straight out of Thanos QVC collection, the Genie has instantly flipped from a fondly remembered childhood character to a cerulean-tinged nightmare.
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Will Smith genie is what appears in my room when I have sleep paralysis pic.twitter.com/NzMDOgvkkz - Jenny Nicholson (@JennyENicholson) February 11, 2019
Seriously. The topknot might say Namaste but that eerie grin says namastab you while youre sleeping.
The Will Smith genie makes me feel the same way I feel when a celebrity dies: Nauseous, sad, and like I cant wait to tell everybody about it - Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) February 11, 2019
Fans had been waiting to see what this new interpretation of the character would look like, but this depiction came, shall we say, out of the blue. After all, when Smith appeared in character on the cover of Entertainment Weekly in December 2018, his look was a lot more school play than Smurf who lifts." That was obviously a blue herring.
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A whole new world. Check out the exclusive first look at Disneys #Aladdin on the cover of the newest issue of @EW ! https://t.co/WZkpxh4YNU pic.twitter.com/ch0zpbM7AQ - Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) December 19, 2018
But not everybody is unsettled by the blue-hued, tiny-nippled, dad-who-does-Soul Cycle aesthetic. Some people are just a little gobsmacked that the visual effects arent better.
Whats most baffling to me is that a human-shaped genie has been done and it was fine so like why NOT just slap some harem pants on Will? You can even paint him blue if you MUST. pic.twitter.com/4wC7niICJN - Joanna Robinson (@jowrotethis) February 11, 2019
Imagine having the Genie look like this when you could have just ripped the software from Avatar ASDKFAHSKSKS pic.twitter.com/y1mg4eoArD - Clarkisha Kent (@IWriteAllDay_) February 11, 2019
Smith has promised that this Genie will be different to Williams cartoon, telling Entertainment Weekly that he is infusing the character with a hip hop flavor. We can find out exactly what that means when the movie opens in the US on May 24. Until then, one thing is for sure-you aint never had a friend like this creature.
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