Aladdin star Mena Massoud has provided an update on where the sequel is in the development stage...and we could be waiting a while. According to the actor, Aladdin 2 is still very much in the works at Disney, who are currently working on the script, with Massoud hoping that everyone from the first outing will be brought back for the second.

"They're working on it. They're trying to make it happen. That's really all I know. As you know, usually actors are the last piece of the puzzle, so the studio has got a lot to worry about before they start thinking about the actors. Obviously, I would hope that all of us come back and Naomi, Will and I all come back and the rest of the cast, Marwan, Navid, Nasim, everybody. But right now, as far as I know, they're just working on the script and trying to make it happen."

Directed by Guy Ritchie from a script he co-wrote with John August, Aladdin hit theaters back in 2019, and is a live action remake of the beloved 1992 animated classic of the same name. Starring Will Smith as the Genie alongside Mena Massoud in the title role, as well as Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, Numan Acar, Alan Tudyk and Frank Welker, the plot follows much the same story as the animated original centering on Aladdin, a street urchin, as he falls in love with Princess Jasmine, befriends a wish-granting Genie, and battles the wicked Jafar.

The movie was another huge success in Disney's live action remake trend, and though it received mixed reviews from critics, it was hugely popular with audiences, debuting at $112 million bringing in just over $1 billion at the global box office.

Whilst details surrounding Aladdin 2 are largely unknown, it has been alleged that the follow-up will not be based on the animated sequel to the animated Aladdin, titled The Return of Jafar. Released in 1994, The Return of Jafar finds the Disney villain seeking revenge on Aladdin and his companions. "We have lots of fan letters about people who really go back and they bring their friends and bring their family. And so we feel like there's more story to tell," producer Dan Lin said of their approach to the sequel. "We are going to treat it the same way we treat the original Aladdin movie and not going to do a shot by shot remake of anything that's been done before."

"We're really looking at what's been done before in the past and the home video, and there's just more story to tell with the underlying materials," Lin continued. "So without giving away too much, we are certainly exploring where we can go with this franchise."

Though it has been reported that the live action sequel will not follow this plot, it could well take some inspiration from it. Certainly, Jafar actor Marwan Kenzari is hoping to return once Aladdin 2 gets going. "I would be humbly grateful to do a second one. It's up to the big bosses and I'm all ready," Kenzari said previously of his desire to bring Jafar back for more. This comes to us from Screen Rant.