Director Guy Ritchie has stated that he would have no qualms with bringing Will Smith back as the Genie in Aladdin 2. Appearing at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia (via THR), Ritchie had no issue with reuniting with Smith for the Disney live action sequel amid the recent Oscar slap controversy, and described the Oscar-winning actor as a “consummate, generous gentleman.”

“I’ve never met a more lovely man, and working with him was one of the most wonderful, great experiences I’ve ever had. I never saw anything other than the consummate, generous gentleman.”

With Aladdin 2 now in pre-production, Ritchie was asked whether he was considering recasting the role of the Genie for the sequel following the infamous incident at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony, during which Smith took to the stage and struck comedian Chris Rock across the face.

“I wouldn’t have any issue casting Will Smith in anything, because, as I say, he was just the f---ing perfect gentleman.”

Will Smith recently addressed the slap heard around the world directly, calling it “a horrific night,” and saying “There’s many nuances and complexities to it. But at the end of the day, I just — I lost it, you know?”

Smith continued. “I was going through something that night, you know? Not that that justifies my behavior at all… It was a lot of things. It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother, you know? All of that just bubbled up in that moment. That is not who I want to be.”

Related: Why the Original Aladdin is Better Than the Remake Even After 30 Years

Not Everyone is Convinced That Aladdin 2 is Going to Happen

Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott in Aladdin
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

While Guy Ritchie has now stated his desire to bring back Will Smith for an Aladdin sequel, not everyone involved is convinced that the movie is actually going to happen. Discussing the Disney project recently star Mena Massoud, who played the title character in the 2019 effort, revealed that movement has been slow on bringing Aladdin 2 to screens. "I don’t know that there is movement. There was a change with the writers, and they are working on a brand new draft. That’s all I know,” he explained.

However, while movement may be slow, Massoud certainly thinks Aladdin 2 should happen. The actor even reveals that the sequel would be a new story and not based on any of the animated outings. “If Aladdin 2 happens, that’s fantastic. I think it should happen,” he continued while speaking with Variety. “Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback Productions, who do the Lego movies and Aladdin, want to make sure they get this right. So if we do see Aladdin 2, it’s not going to be based off the animated version at all. This is going to be a brand new original story."

Released in 2019, Aladdin is a live-action retelling of Disney’s beloved 1992 animated movie and tells the story of a street urchin named Aladdin who falls in love with a Princess Jasmine and befriends a wish-granting Genie. Aladdin grossed over $1 billion worldwide, with a sequel confirmed in February last year. So, while things behind-the-scenes may be slow, expect to see further developments on Aladdin 2...eventually.