My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses: juni 2019

Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.

Make sure to leave a comment if you like this site! And if there's something you think could be improved, please let me know. But in a constructive way, please. And just a note; I'm not a Native English writer, so my incorrect grammar may be notable.

And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize

This entry may come across as somewhat derivative, since I've discussed this subject before. Yet due to the release of the live action Aladdin and inspired by Lindsay Ellis video of this issue, it was hard to resist to make an entry about this issue.

Aladdin's now the Genie stuck in the lamp instead of me ;)

The floor is one fire
instead of the roof :)

While Disney characters are usually being labeled for being stock archetypes, there`s actually been some archetypes which has gained more praise than others. And one of these stock characters are the sidekicks. These sidekicks have usually often praised for various things: They're meant to serve as comic reliefs and are often praised for portraying more personality and spark than the leads (who's in turn often labeled as being bland). Of course the heroes aren't the only ones who`ve given sidekicks, as the villains are usually given henchmen. Yet those sidekicks are usually not as praised as the heroes` sidekicks.

There's a reason why the
useless ones are in minority :)

Another criticism is how the sidekicks often serves for merchandising purposes. And while that statement is true to a certain degree, the sidekick has been such a Disney trademark from the get-go that they've been simply synonymous with Disney. And that`s why it's hard to imagine a Disney movie without them. Yet due their merchandising purposes (and other reasons), it's understandable how some of them are giving celebrity voices. While it may seem like a gimmick to do so, it could also be an inspired choice as well. Since the celebrity can actually influence the character and make a genuine inspired performance and combination. Which truly happened with Aladdin's case.

Disney`s Previous Celebrity Voice Casting Before the Genie

And yes, since this entry is going to be about how Genie is perceived as synonymous with that trend, we'll have to remember that it happened way before Aladdin. It began with Pinocchio (Cliff Edwards, chosen for his lively smooth and upbeat voice) and continued with Alice in Wonderland and The Junge Book. The trend continued after Walt's death with The Great Mouse Detective and Oliver & Company. And we cannot forget that The Little Mermaid had no other than Buddy Hackett as Scuttle. Who made an inspired and believable performance. And Beauty and the Beast had at least Angela Landsbury and Jerry Orbach.

Yet regarding the whole celebrity voice acting thing, it's also remarkable that prior to Aladdin, the celebrity voice casting rarely regarded the leads. Perhaps to add fuel to the aforementioned fire to the blandness of a Disney lead, yet nonetheless. Yet while the celebrity voice casting often applies to both a lead and a sidekick, it`s often been perceived as synonymous to the sidekicks. For the aforementioned reasons of marketing.

The Process of Casting Robbie Williams as Genie and Animating Genie

I'm Robot-Genie for this
occassion :)

This is my way of tempting
you :)

And then came Aladdin. Who with Robin Williams not only set the
mold for the celebrity voice casting, but also for adding pop culture References to a Disney Movie as well (which the crew praised the directors John Musker and Ron Clements for having a cunning gimmick for the adults in the audience). The directors were first afraid of much they could caricature the celebrity impersonations. Yet they were persauded of how much fun they could have with it by Genie's animator, Eric Goldberg.

The directors wrote the Genie with Robin Williams in mind. For having him as the only choice for the part and even wrote some of his dialogue. Initially he was written as an archetype, as an gameshow host and an evangelist. And of course they were nervous to pitch him the role. Goldberg, who wanted to work with Ron and John, was not sure if he was going to get the job. And yet he was so impressed by the original temp voices of the Genie who even sounded like Robin. Jeffrey Katzenberg was initially skeptical about Williams' addition, which is why Disney management asked for other alternatives. Originally the executives wanted John Candy and Steve Martin for the part.

As long as you don't
call me Shortie :)

Now we know how Devon and
Cornwall feels like :)

Katzenberg originally wanted a more serious Genie in mind, but was convinced when he saw a test animation for Genie with Robin Williams comedy albums. Which even convinced Williams himself.
Robin was encouraged to ad-lib as much as he wanted to (while he recorded the part in different States) and stopped following the script after the first eight drafts (A scene he did that was originally meant to last 30 Seconds went on for 10 minutes). In fact, Williams improvised so more than expected that the crew had almost 16 hours of material! Among the improvised lines were Genie's own introduction to Aladdin in the Cave of Wonders.

Yes, a cat can teach
you to read :)

Goldberg had to design a character that was fluid and lightweight (and Goldberg suggested that Genie would wear the same outfit that Williams wore in the Walt Disney World Commercial Back to Neverland). Goldberg, who's won two Clios, was hired because the directors wanted his style. And he joined the squad in September 1990, making his first job for Disney. Ron and John were smitten by what was the most beautiful commercials they've ever seen.

I hope they'll accept me
with this costume :)

The changing nature of the Genie was a proof for why he would work in

animation (which was something that was a relief for Goldberg). Yet animating Genie was no easy task. Since Williams would either read the lines as written, using different voices, while otherwise indulge in flights of fancy. And most of his sessions would often start out low-key and then he would go wilder and wilder. Which was something that he loved about his job, doing five sessions of about four hours work. There were some discussions if the Genie should have an Arabian accent. Yet it was ultimately more satisfying if Genie actually just had Williams` voice alone. The celebrity impressions were completely unexpected.

Animators as Tom Sito, Joe Haidar, Broose Johnson and Dave Burgess were also responsible for animating Genie as well. Goldberg casted the animators for the scenes that they wanted (which certainly was in Nik Ranieri`s case). Joe Haidar was urged to take inspiration in Diane Keatons "La-Di-Da"-moment in Annie Hall in the climax. Goldberg said that observing Williams' impersonations was a mistake, since he laughed of his jokes all the time. Still he never looked at Robin's live action footage. While Williams had his arms locked while performing, Goldberg wanted Genie to be more looser in his arms. Several mothers loved the scene where Genie is showing his belly off at the beginning, due to it`s resemblance of pregnancy and got a big laugh.

See my catch! Impressive, huh? :)

Williams considered the Genie to be a caricature of himself, so the similarities between them had to be toned down. The directors wanted the character to be a big, metamorphic guy who was bigger than life and bald headed and barrel chested. So his design was altered, although some of the facial features (the large jaw, the sharp nose and some expression around the eyes) retained just a hint of Robin. Goldberg was as known influenced by Al Hirschfeld and Disney animators Bill Tytla and Fred Moore. And Goldberg also wanted to bring back "the great art" of the living line and "the unity of figures and background" from the Mickey Mouse cartoons. Still the Genie was also designed by Maurice Chevalier (while Howard Ashman initially saw the Genie as a hipster).

The Feud

Yes, I'm bragging about my
resume :) But hey, I can do
that, since I'm a famous
director :)

Regardless of Williams not being the first major Star to grace the animated screen, he still happens to be credited for it. But the choice of Williams was essentially an inspired one, for his cartoony persona. And his performance was instantly praised by critics, declaring that stand up comedy and animation were bascially a perfect match. Overall, it's confirmed that Williams overall created 52 voices for 52 different characters. Williams recorded his voice in Skywalker Sound. He received the designs of the Genie while filming Hook and actually recorded his lines while shooting that picture.

Aladdin doesn't live here :)
Just so you know :)

At least it's not
Toy Story :)

Yet the whole story regarding the Robin Williams feud is quite well known. But to summarize it from the beginning: Williams (who was paid $485 for the job) declared that he didn't wanted to use his voice for commercial purposes and to sell the merchandise. He just wanted his voice to be used 25% at the marketing. For working on the property Toys at the same time and also wanting to do Genie for his children (which they loved).

That`s why the conditions were made to not having his name on the marketing. Which is probably why he rarely did any interviews for Aladdin itself back in 1992. He was also shooting in Scotland and Morocco that fall for Being Human. And Disney also urged the Academy Awards for a Best Actor nomination for Williams.

Yes, it lives up
to it's title :)

Another issue was that Williams also recorded the voice of the Batty Koda in Ferngully at the time. Making his first voice in an animated film. The character of Batty was specifically created for him (he performed the Batty Rap himself, while that song came late in production). Williams provided 14 hours worth of improvised lines for the part which had been originally conceived as an 8-minute role. Director Bill Kroyer was so impressed with the work that he ended up tripling the screen time to Koda. Yet Ferngully was developed before Aladdin and Williams had singed on that one before the Disney property. Williams was attracted to Ferngully because of it's green message.

We're preceding
Jim Hawkins :)

Another reason for even mentioning Ferngully in this case, is how Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted Williams to leave Ferngully in favor of Aladdin, which didn't happen. Williams wanted to do both movies, something that Katzenberg didn't want to happen. Bill Kroyer was inspecting the Disney lot for people to actually join their Ferngully production and therefore Katzenberg sabotaged it. Which could be a reason for why Disney completely declined Williams' wish. And while Disney usually had marketed the celebrity voice casting they used in their former movies, at least they initially kept their promise with Aladdin at first. The marketing never actually marketed Williams' name in the posters nor in the behind the scenes material.

Yet we all know that Williams wasn't the only major star in this picture. As Gilbert Gottfried lent his voice to Iago, who was a deliberate addition to balance out Robin's performane. And to not having the film be dull until the Genie came along. And let's not forget about Full House's Scott Weigner as our dear Al himself. Who was only 15 while being cast (he even recorded the scene where the Genie is a bee with Williams a scene that he enjoyed and that also was Glen Keane's favorite scene).

The Feud Part II

I'm taking a cue from Karen
Smith from Mean Girls :)

Don't worry, we'll make
this journey fun... to trick
you :)

However, Disney eventually broke their deal and used Wiliams voice in

some commercials (the voice being done by other people. without paying Williams the additional money). And regardless of what could be said about it, we'll have to be realistic here guys; It's hard to have a bankable A-list star and not marketing him (despite that it doesn`t mean that I personally support Disney's decision for breaking their promise). Of course Disney denied their broken deal and defended that they helped to launch his career.

I'm your new master now :)
For a while :)

Since the movie is
about me (Jafar), I
have the biggest head
:)

And yes, while it`s been speculated, it actually was the major reason for him to not reprise his role at The Return of Jafar and the Aladdin-series. His role was replaced by Homer Simpson (no, I meant Dan Castellaneta). Disney wanted Williams back for a new project at the time, which he politely declined. Yet Disney and Williams eventually made up and Disney sent him a Picasso-painting. Williams told New York Magazine that the Mork & Mindy merchandising with dolls was a different because "the image was theirs. But Genie's voice, that's me; I gave them myself." The apology was even a public one from Joe Roth, Katzenberg's successor. And Katzenberg called Ferngully's producer Wayne Young to congratulate him with the best non-Disney film ever.

And that's of
course Robin
Hood :)

Yes, I'm bouncing you off :)

When Williams aired some of his grievances with Disney in a cover story in New York Magazine, Katzenberg thanked Williams for not completely whacking him Williams famous joke about Mickey Mouse was actually told to New York Magazine "You realize now when you work for Disney why the mouse has only four fingers — because he can't pick up a check". Well, the peace agreement was most likely the main reason why he returned in Aladdin & The King of Thieves. Where his name was even marketed with on the cover, commercials and Behind-the-Scenes Material. Yet Williams was not paid scale this time around, gaining $ 1 million for this role. Williams also returned in other Aladdin properties, as Aladdin's Math Quest Game and voiced Genie in other occassions. Williams would also do other Disney projects later on (funny that five years from later from Aladdin he would do Flubber. Which coincidentally Clements at the time said that his energy was Flubber-like).

Yet what's remarkable with the celebrity marketing is that Williams wasn't the only major star where his name wasn't made a big deal of in the marketing. Since following Disney movies actually had major stars as Mel Gibson, Demi Moore, Jason Alexander, Eddie Murphy and Rosie O'Donell. While it's not known if those people actually had the same demands as Williams, perhaps it could be tempting to wonder if their subdued marketing could be an result of the Williams' conflict. Williams won an Golden Globe for the role as Genie. What he loved most about the part was being able to play a free character and has declared that the recording process itself was overall wonderful.

Genie`s Iconic Position, The Peddler & Some Trivia

It's pretty fair to say that Aladdin is mostly labeled for Genie and Robin Williams. Since I've discussed that issue in my previous entry for Aladdin whether is Genie truly is the most memorable thing about the movie. Regarding the fact that he doesn't appear 35 minutes through the film (while Aladdin series' screenwriter, Tad Stones, has acknowledged Aladdin's greatness prior to Genie's appearance). Unless you'll count the Peddler at the beginning (who of course was going to be the Genie, which was a story point that was
unfortunately scrapped).
While I've mentioned Aladdin`s other strengths, regardless

of the individuals opinions around it, it's mostly truly labeled for Williams. And it's fair to also assume the reality, guys: Williams was the part of the movie's success, regardless of the winning streak that Disney was experiencing at the time.

One small step for
Aladdin and Disney :)

Yet regarding the Genie's jokes, they haven`t only been praised. Most of the jokes will be dated for several years from now on, since they really were relevant in the 90's (something that Ron Clements worried about. Yet perhaps the most conscious joke was the one of Genie holdning the script of the movie in the scene where he wants Aladdin to set him free). So that's really one criticism against Genie's anchronisms. Yet regardless of Disney or not, Genie is truly one of Williams`most cherished roles (the Pinocchio joke was no coincidence. Since Robin used to do a boo-woop joke, which was his way of telling a joke. By doing a gesture while sticking his finger to his nose and drawing it out about two feet in from of this face. The Directors had to enhance that brief shot. Since the audience laughed so hard at certain jokes, so that they missed the dialogue).

At least it`s not "to the infinty and beyond" :)

Robin finished his work on Aladdin at the end of summer of 1991. He laughed in the ending line about Jasmine, "You're not going to find anyone like her", because it "sounded like everybodys Jewish mom". And his transformation to freedom was one of the last things that was animated and one of the toughest, while it was originally meant to be longer.

Robin's favorite part about the Blue Guy was his powers. And his deliberate ability to travel back and forward in time (which was a reason why the Genie could know about Pop Culture references). And being able to sing, despite behing apprehensive at first. Yet he was relieved when he was encouraged to sing with different voices. Friend Like Me was the first song that was completed.

Green Goblin would've been
so proud :)

And shown to attract different animators on the project, despite how Genie's design was not completed. And when Robin recorded Prince Ali, he made up a song called Prince Jeffrey randomly. Much of the original recordings for the Peddler were unsuitable for Disney (as a bra joke). The creators worried about Genie's lack of appearance the first half of the film. So that`s why his humor was introduced early in form of the Peddler. To prepare the audience for the comedy.

Shang would`ve
loved this :)

The Peddler was animated by Abu's animator, Duncan Marjoribanks. Who wrapped up his assignment on Abu pretty early on and therefore wanted to do something else. So the Peddler was animated towards the end of the production. The crew brought Robin different props to improvise with. Since John Musker had written a line that Jeffrey Katzenberg delined and wanting Robin to improvise a la Jonathan Winters. As he did with the Genie, Robin recorded an hour of material with the props for the Peddler. And it was material that was never used for the movie. Which is a pity, cause it would`ve been definitively interesting to see and listen to. And to wonder if that material would`ve been appropriate for the movie.

How Disney Tried To Make a Similar Sidekick & The Following Sidekicks and Celebrity Voice Casting

At least I'm not using my
middle finger :)

Yet one should wonder with a celebrity like Williams doing a sidekick like Genie, that Disney would be inspired to not only by adding more Pop Culture references to their movies (something that Williams wanted himself), but also having a similar character with a celebrity voice. The answer is of course yes, for cynical reasons. Because let's be real, guys: Showbiz is a cynical industry where money matters. And when you have a success, you want to repeat it.
But this issue has somewhat of a twist.

Of course Disney never truly tried to make a sidekick that was an exact copy of the Genie (because every Disney movie simply doesn't call for such a character). Yet they've still tried to include a similar sidekick. Of course Disney themselves been have denied this and rather said that they've tried to expand their horizons and not replicate the success. And while there is some truth to that, it's still inevitable to not try to follow that mold for aforementioned reasons.
Of course the wisecracking sidekick existed way before Aladdin (as Jiminy Cricket happens to be one of the most cherished ones by Disney historians). And even characters who could transform themselves. Yet Genie still was a character and a departure of his own right.

I don't have any candy,
since I'm an animal :)

Yet regarding the following snarky sidekicks, The Lion King was in production at the same time as Aladdin. And while it had some snarky sidekicks who were voiced by celebrities, they weren't as prominent as the Genie (and of course were naturalistic, due to the naturalistic setting). With Pocahontas, though, Disney really tried to do something different and not having the wisecracking sidekick, for once. Which was a deliberate choice, to serve the seriousness of the story (yet it had a major star as the lead hunk by Mel Gibson). Yet the following movies from The Hunchback of Notre Dame to Tarzan, Disney tried to have a wisecracking sidekick that was shaped from the Genie. In Hunchback's case, it failed miserably. Since the Gargoyles are essentially universally perceived as the worst thing of the movie.

At least Hercules had Danny DeVito as Philoctetes (um sorry, I meant Phil), which was an inspired choice. But Hercules was shaped to be an Aladdin knock-off filled with Pop Culture references, nonetheless. Regardless of the wisecracking sidekick or not. Yet James Woods' Hades was actually being labeled for being somewhat of a Genie-knockoff, just a villianous one. Since he was being voiced by a wisecracking celebrity.

We just had to confirm it to
those who didn't understood :)

Less praise was given to Rosie O'Donell's Terk from Tarzan. While not being meant to be an exact Genie knockoff, she's still been perceived to fit the same mold (yet a more relevant comparison would`ve been Timon from The Lion King). Even the Revival era would try to replicate that trope, with Musker and Clements latest picture, Moana. Maui has been perceived as a Genie knock off and while perhaps the studio haven't really promoted him as so, the similarities are still overt and obvious enough to proclaim him as a Genie copy. The same with Awkwafina`s Sisu from Raya and the Last Dragon.

Mushu: The Sidekick Who Resembles the Genie Most

Thanks for letting me be taller
than you for once, Genie :)

Of course the Genie knockoff that has been most compared to the Genie is Mushu from Mulan. The comparison may be a shallow one, since how both Aladdin and Mulan originates from Oriental settings. Yet the comparison is also a quite legit one. Since Eddie Murphy (who was originally a candidate for the Genie and to star in Oliver & Company as well) is a huge name. And Mushu comes across as being more prominent than the post-Genie sidekicks. Mushu even gets more screentime and characterization than Mulan's love interest Shang (while the same criticism applies to Aladdin as well, at least Jasmine is more prominent to the story than Shang was for his story).

The right side is the real me :)

While Mushu is mostly less regarded as the Genie, at least no matter what could be said about him, he doesn't come across as being an exact copy of the Genie either. Mushu is rather snarkier and selfish than being constantly changing (still in true cartoon fashion, he manages to have a couple of anachronistic props). Yet the Eddie Murphy chosing is of course remarkable, for his sheer star power. As with Aladdin, Eddie Murphy's voice wasn't as marketed overtly. Yet there was less fuzz about the aftermath of his involvement than with Williams. And sure, it's of course remarkable to have an African American comedian in an ancient Chinese setting. But let's not discuss this subject, shall we?

The Comparison Between the Genie & His Following Sidekicks, Genie`s Fanbase, The Reason For The Non-Cynical Choice of Robin Williams, Eric Goldberg`s Other Sidekicks & More Trivia

This was my best
bad guy-grin :)

It would be tempting to scrutinize every Disney sidekick that`s been inspired by Genie. And while even a Disney protagonist can show spark and snark, the snarky qualities are usually credited among the sidekicks. Regardless of how the followers have managed to be different from the Genie. Even the low-key Olaf from Frozen, who`s personality-trait is mostly based on sheer naivete, has claimed by his voice actor Josh Gad to be inspired by Genie.

Yet regardless of what could be said about the following sidekicks, there is an authenticy and genuineness to the Genie than to his followers. While the Genie doesn't necessarily top every Disney

sidekick survey, at least he does top some of them. There's been several theories that Genie is the most beloved Disney character.

The reason for Genie's success is evident for the simple reason that his casting was genuinely inspired by talent. Whereas the other sidekicks mostly cames across as knockoffs. Due to how quite derivative the 90's features were and the earliest films of that prime shaped the mold to their followers, Mermaid, Beauty, Aladdin and The Lion King set the mold and shaped the components from that time. So everything that came afterwards was instantly compared to their forerunners. Which also includes the Genie.

Yet regardless of what individual opinions there is around Genie, it would be fair to objectively say that he comes across as superior to his counterparts. Mainly because of the sheer heart which Robin brought. And frankly, that's another thing that Genie has been praised for; For being a genuniely heartfelt character and a labor of love.What`s all more remarkable is that Eric Goldberg did supervise other sidekicks afterwards. He's basically been typecast for them, which it's of course not strange at all. Since it`s something that he does well and likes to do. It would tempting to wonder if Goldberg has ever been inspired to do a sidekick that truly was similar to the Genie. As both Phil and Louis from The Princess and the Frog are different, non-transforming sidekicks and never truly outshines the Genie.

I'm trying to be
Dumbo :)

Yet Genie has been Goldberg's favorite character to animate. And has confirmed that Aladdin has been the most improvisasional animated movie that he's ever worked on. He even storyboarded Genie's outtakes-material on the Diamond Edition. While he originally wanted to do a scene where the Genie was auditioning for his role at the studio in 2003. Yet the executives rather wanted sheer outtakes.

Golberg's favorite piece of Disney animation is Baloo wiggling to Bear Necessities in The Jungle Book. What`s funny is that he thought that "it was just a pile of drawings", which was the same comment from John Musker when he showed his animation of Genie dancing! Goldberg decided to give the Genie very accentuated cheeks when he smiled and helped Williams to pick his best lines. And Goldberg truly wanted the part of the Genie. He got so excited when he receued it that he locked himself out of his car and had to call Security to get himself in again!

There were several scenes which were cut with Genie (as an impersonation of George Bush). But there were certainly cuts in the climax, due to it's seriousness. The applause sign at the end of A Friend Like Me was a deliberate choice, since Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted every song number to have a applause. Alan Menken originally wanted an additional song for Genie that was called To Be Free. It would take place in the Oasis. But since Genie already had two other songs, it was cut. And believe it or not, there were originally going to be two Genies in the story; One that came from the lamp that belonged to Jafar and one that came from Aladdin's magic ring.

One struggle that the crew eventually had, was if the Genie's gags were going to be too mature for an children audience. While Disney themselves wanted to go the line, it was Katzenberg who wanted to ensure that Disney still maintained their family friendly policy. Katzenberg feared that the movie was going to turn into a Saturday Night Live skit. Which created some concerns, as one of Andreas Deja's assistants ran to him when she saw the animators impressions of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Williams's impersonation of Taxi Driver's Robert DeNiro was originally much longer, yet Martin Scorsesse loved it. Yet there were concerns about that Genie seemed too mean on that scene.

Magnus Carlsen should've
been with us :)

The Rodney Dangerfield-line "I can't believe it, I'm losing to a rug" was written by the directors before Williams impersonated Dangerfield. And while Williams imitated Jack Nicholson, he also did it as John Wayne. The Nicholson design was based on a caricature by Musker. The Arsenio Hall joke was somewhat controversial, as was the "not that I want to pick out curtains or anything"-line. While Goldberg loved the moment, due to the snark within the sincerity. And that Aladdin is constantly being called Al by Genie was something that was ad-libbed by Robin.

Will Smith`s Genie

Unfortunately and coincidentially, this entry was written exactly five years since Williams' unfortunate death (whom Musker and Clements were told by their editor and all the tributes to the Genie moved Eric Goldberg). Yet Williams made Genie untouchable due to all these aforementioned reasons. So when Disney announced that Aladdin would join their recent live action remake boom after Williams' demise, there were of course concerns of the new portrayal of Genie. Yet when it was announced that Will Smith would be the one who would portray him, it didn't came exactly as a surprise.

But of course a question regarding Smith's interpretation if he's actually managed to honor the character and made him recognizable to those who loved William's version. Regardless of the personal opinions around it, at least Smith's Genie is his own take. Yet Smith had his own fears of living up to the role and not ruining it. I apologize if this comment comes across as an attack at Smith's interpretation, cause that's not my intention. Yet when someone reinterpretes an iconic role, it will always be met with criticism, regardless.

As for the other live action adaptations, there was originally a prequel planned to Aladdin called Genies. Which would be a live-action comedy adventure that would focus on the realm of the Genies. And reveal how Aladdin's Genie ended up enslaved in that lamp. It was originally meant to precede Guy Ritchie's version, yet fate wanted it otherwise. According to Times of London, a former Disney executive revealed that enough of the Williams' lines from the original 1991 recording sessions were able for the company to use them and make a fourth Aladdin movie. Unfortunately, Disney ditched the plans when they discovered that Williams’ will prevents them from using his name, taped performances or voice recordings for 25 years after his death.

Epilogue

Yes, it's worth a
million Dollars :)

Our surnames are more
important than our first
names in this poster :)

And yes, all in all, the Genie inspired the trend of celebrity voice casting in animation. It's somewhat an irony of how Robin Williams didn't want this to happen with his own name. Yet it shaped the inevitable trend. But since this is a Disney blog, after all, the examples will mostly be related to Disney regarding the subject. While the credit for continuing this trend also goes of course to a certain green ogre. Still there`s been claims that movies like Toy Story and Chicken Run also started the trend. And the stars collects generous bonuses if their movies becomes a hit and has the opportunity of a major payday on a sequel.

Yet to summarize the genesis of this trend, it was also evident in the success of Oliver & Company. Which star power may have been a reason why it drew more people than Mouse Detective did. So while there's been rants about how star Power isn`t selling point (since the average moviegoer wants to rather watch a celebrity on a movie than hearing one), there's no denial that celebrities does draw seats in watch an animated movie.

No matter the different points of views of this issue, we'll have to accept the inevitable fact, guys: That Hollywood is a cynical corporation. And major stars will most likely always be used to voice an animated feature,.whether the choice is truly inspired or not. It's a gimmick, but it's a gimmick that existst to various reasons. And sure, I`ll apologize if I came across as neglecting the other sidekicks at the expense of the Genie. Since that wasn't my intention at all. And yes, I know that I'm tapping into an issue that's derivative. But hey, I wanted to take this shot. So please forgive me ;)

We were so jealous at Aladdin that we had to join in :)

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My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses

mandag 24. juni 2019

Genie from "Aladdin": The Big Robin Williams Feud and Genie's Shaping of the Disney Sidekick Legacy

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And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize