While there may have been a lot of talk about a sequel to the 2019 live-action remake of Disney’s Aladdin, there has been much less said about a potential spin-off movie focusing on Billy Magnussen’s comical Prince Anders. While Anders was only a minor character in the Disney hit, his memorable appearance as the potential suitor of Princess Jasmine led to a spin-off being discussed soon after Aladdin’s release, and after almost three years, Magnussen has been able to give a very encouraging update on the project.
In original plans for the 2019 remake, Magnussen was originally cast to play Prince Achmed, a character who appeared in the original Disney animated movie, but this was eventually changed to the Prince from the fictional kingdom of Skanland. Although he was on screen for a very short time, the character of Prince Anders did just enough to spark an interest in a new project that will turn the hapless royal into the star of his own movie. Magnussen told Screen Rant:
"It's in development. We are in the stages of rewrites right now, and it's still moving forward. Yeah, it's really exciting ... I loved making that character up, and to have the opportunity to create a world and a story with him in it has really been a treat. I love that. That's what I really love about this industry; to play in such a way like that ... To be the not-Prince-Charming Prince, you know? We always see Prince Charming, so I was like, 'Let's mix it up."
An Aladdin Sequel and Spin-Off Have Been Held Up Due to The Pandemic
Like many projects, both the sequel to Aladdin and the potential Prince Anders spin-off were originally announced in 2019 just months before the world of cinema became a very uncertain place thanks to the global Covid pandemic. While there has been no information on either project in the last couple of years, it seems that with things returning to some kind of normality when it comes to the movie industry, that cloud of mystery is starting to lift.
As well as news of the Prince Anders movie coming courtesy of Magnussen, Aladdin star Mena Massoud recently hinted that while there has been nothing forthcoming about a sequel, that could be about to change soon with news expected to arrive in the near future. While all of this is still very early development stuff, it is still an encouraging move after such a long time without any updates on the projects.
Of course, the new Aladdin projects are just a small piece of the plan Disney currently has in motion for the revivals of their old animated classics library. Later this year sees the arrival of the Tom Hanks-led Pinocchio on Disney+, and other upcoming releases include Snow White, The Little Mermaid and Bambi, meaning that there will be no shortage of nostalgic remakes to keep most people happy for the next few years. There is currently no word on when either Aladdin movie will release or whether they will be theatrical or Disney+ projects.