While the studio had interest in Dev Patel, 27, and Riz Ahmed, 34, the male lead will likely be a newcomer. Read More: Disney’s Live-Action ‘Aladdin’ Holds Open Casting Call for Leads “The test process was a mess,” says one agent with a client who tested. Sources say there have been several rounds of tests in London, with the actors coming in for up to two weeks at a time.

The original casting call specified that production was slated to begin by July, but the search has dragged on, with Disney and Ritchie having to go back to the drawing board multiple times.

Disney, Ritchie and casting director Randi Hiller brought on casting agents around the world, from London to Egypt to Abu Dhabi and India, for what sources say is a massive global search: Around 2,000 actors and actresses have read for the lead roles of Jasmine and Aladdin.īut finding a male lead in his 20s who can act and sing has proven difficult - especially since the studio wants someone of Middle-Eastern or Indian descent (the animated film is set in the fictional Middle Eastern city of Agrabah). The studio and Aladdin director Guy Ritchie launched a global casting call in March to find the stars for the musical based on the hit 1992 animated film about a street kid who teams with a genie to woo the princess Jasmine. By Rebecca Ford and Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporterĭisney’s magic carpet ride has hit a bit of turbulence.

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