Disney's live-action remakes of its animated classics have occasionally missed the mark with critics, but they're undeniably big box-office draws. It's, therefore, little surprise that the company would want to further mine those properties for its new Disney+ streaming service, beginning with Aladdin, the blockbuster musical fantasy that grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. Still, absolutely no one expected a Disney+ spinoff starring Prince Anders, the white prince of Skanland who plays a minor role in the film as one of Jasmine's suitors.
It might seem odd that, of all the characters, Disney chose the one white guy for a spinoff. However, the more you dig, the stranger -- and more cynical -- the decision becomes.
Prince Anders is the only major Caucasian character in the live-action Aladdin, but his character is less important than the actor who plays him. Anders is portrayed by Billy Magnussen, who has appeared in myriad films and television shows. It's been reported that Magnussen came to Disney about the feature spinoff. It is, essentially, the actor's idea.
Jordan Dunn and Michael Kvamme, who wrote the comedy spec-script Operation Prince of Freedom, will pen the new film. They were brought on by Magnussen. So, in many respects, this appears to be Magnussen's project. Indeed, as of this writing, Disney has yet to put out a press release about the spinoff, casting the whole affair in a far more questionable light.
Of course, Magnussen might have pitched something brilliant. Perhaps the upcoming feature will be an unforgettable family film full of humor and adventure. But there are two key elements the movie probably can't overcome.
With all the well-known characters in Aladdin -- Jasmine, Aladdin, Iago, Jafar, the Genie -- why is the little-known Prince Anders getting his own spin-off? Undeniably, Disney is open to Aladdin sequels. The company said as much in the aftermath of the live-action remake's release . And another film could perhaps draw from the direct-to-video sequels to the animated original: The Return of Jafar or The King of Thieves.
As seen with the sequel to Maleficent, whatever sequel Aladdin gets will be a big-budget affair, while Prince Anders' film will be a smaller feature, perhaps on par with the live-action Lady and the Tramp -- which was released exclusively on Disney+ -- in terms of production values.
However, this doesn't change the fact that the first feature spin-off from Aladdin will center on the whitest character from the first movie. Anders is, very obviously, not in the original animated film. His existence was added for the remake. Compared to all the other actors, he is almost completely eclipsed. He's not particularly fascinating, so why is he getting this film?
The announcement of the spinoff came to light at the same time as another revelation: the other actors from the live-action Aladdin are struggling to get work. In a recent interview in The Daily Beast with actor Mena Massoud, who played the title role, revealed he has been unable to get a single audition for a new film since the release of Aladdin.
“I’m kind of tired of staying quiet about it. I want people to know that it’s not always dandelions and roses when you’re doing something like Aladdin," Massoud said. "'He must have made millions. He must be getting all these offers.' It’s none of those things. I haven’t had a single audition since Aladdin came out.”
In light of this, it seems even more bizarre that this spin-off is happening. Why is it that Aladdin can't get work but the random white guy who appeared in it will get his own film? Time will tell if Massoud and his co-stars will reprise their roles in a big-screen sequel. However, until the live-action remake of Return of Jafar arrives, we can only look forward to the whitest guy in Agrabah getting his time in the spotlight.
Directed by Guy Ritchie, Aladdin stars Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Will Smith as Genie, Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine, Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, Navid Negahban as the Sultan of Agrabah, Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders, and Frank Welker and Alan Tudyk as the voices of Abu and Iago, respectively. Aladdin is available now on digital and Blu-ray.