In 1992’s beloved Aladdin, we watched a poor boy stumble across a magic lamp, and then enlists the genie inside (played by the indelible Robin Williams) to help him try to get the girl. Along the way, Aladdin and the Genie formed a close friendship, and it came out that the Genie’s deepest wish was to be free. The upcoming movie, Genies, will focus on genies in general, as well as exploring the past of Aladdin’s fast talking, joke-expelling original Genie.
The prequel is set to be a comedy but — even putting the transition from animation to live action aside — Shannon and Swift may have their work cut out for them. After all, this sounds like it’ll be the story of how the Genie became enslaved in the “itty bitty living space” he later lamented in Aladdin. That’s just … sad, isn’t it?
The writers are comedy vets, though, having most recently worked on the Baywatch movie and O’Lucky Day. Previously, they penned several notable horror flicks, including Freddy vs. Jason, the Friday the 13th reboot, and more. They’ll be joined by Tripp Vinson, who is set to produce the project through Vinson Films. His résumé includes, among others, an executive producer credit on box office goliath San Andreas.
