People Are Not Thrilled About Disney Adding a New White Character to 'Aladdin'
"The gentrification of Agrabah has begun."
Disney's live action Aladdin remake is causing some controversy thanks to the fact that it cast a new character named Prince Anders. And what's more, he's white. To be clear, Aladdin is special for many reasons—including the fact that it's one of the very few classic Disney films that's not about white characters. And while actor Billy Magnussen is surely talented, people are upset that a special role has been written for a white actor in an adaptation that should highlight POC.
See Twitter's strongest reactions below:
Lol that's nice how white people will make up new jobs just to hire and pay another white person. Maybe one day they do that for poc too.September 6, 2017
Was ScarJo not available 🤔 https://t.co/GrcqAUVO8FSeptember 6, 2017
The gentrification of Agrabah has begun. Next up, gourmet, artisanal hummus. https://t.co/UbTgBDU2ofSeptember 6, 2017
so they "couldn't find" a middle Eastern Jasmine but they can add a completely new made up WHITE GUY https://t.co/YqYUQ8OLBFSeptember 6, 2017
We mailing this movie a capital L with love from Arab, Asian and Black twitter.aLaddin gotta go https://t.co/jfhOYnwZuJSeptember 6, 2017
pic.twitter.com/oenoFjM0ZwSeptember 6, 2017
Can. We. Not.Like, serious talk here. Fellow White people, it's okay to not be in literally everything. Seriously, it's FINE. https://t.co/H8H7ADKbJaSeptember 6, 2017
So millions of people have seen the Aladdin cartoon.They couldn't trust the live action to work enough without creating this?! https://t.co/ZeX9XDLGo2September 6, 2017
I have so much side-eye for this I think my head just did a full Linda Blair 360 https://t.co/EM3OQCnRvmSeptember 6, 2017
Can. We. Not.Like, serious talk here. Fellow White people, it's okay to not be in literally everything. Seriously, it's FINE. https://t.co/H8H7ADKbJaSeptember 6, 2017
So millions of people have seen the Aladdin cartoon.They couldn't trust the live action to work enough without creating this?! https://t.co/ZeX9XDLGo2September 6, 2017
I liked Billy Magnussen just fine as the Not Chris Pine Prince in Into the Woods, but his casting here seems wholly unnecessary.September 6, 2017
The Guy Ritchie-directed movie stars Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Jasmine, Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, and Will Smith as Genie.
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Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm. She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.