Is Will Smith blue in Disney’s new ‘Aladdin’ remake? We finally have an answer

Dec 19, 2018

By Herb Scribner

Entertainment Weekly shared the first images from the upcoming live-action version of “Aladdin,” and fans certainly felt some type of way about Will Smith’s Genie character.

Tweets shared after the release of the photos, and the accompanying Entertainment Weekly cover included Smith, who appeared as Genie with a ponytail and stylish goatee.

We can show you the world… of Disney’s live-action #Aladdin! Get a shining, shimmering, splendid first look at the reimagined classic in our magical First Look issue: https://t.co/Kwkcdfen5v pic.twitter.com/7NbyiRRcLH

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) December 19, 2018

Fans were surprised that Smith wasn’t, well, blue. See, in the animated version of “Aladdin,” the Genie, famously voiced by Robin Williams, was blue.

https://twitter.com/Hellkr1/status/1075376810207137792

https://twitter.com/jaarlos/status/1075372699575173121

https://twitter.com/marlymd1/status/1075409528068419584

Y’all thought will Smith was going to be painted blue?

— Master Of The Triple Bye Bye Birdie (@WalkLikeWalt) December 19, 2018

https://twitter.com/mehjuwon/status/1075417836539899904

Fans were also quick to point out that Smith reminded them of the actor Sinbad, who made a genie movie, according to conspiracy theorists.

I have … Questions

Like why does Will Smith look like Sinbad? pic.twitter.com/lITuMfj7L7

— CM Krish (@Krishan_Mamba24) December 19, 2018

Will Smith gotta remake Jingle All The Way with John Cena if he's going full Sinbad pic.twitter.com/CFS3YtCMGn

— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) December 19, 2018

But Smith said on Instagram he will be blue after all.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrkhMBcBifX/

Earlier rumors suggested Smith would be CGI for the movie.

Bigger picture: It seems almost everything has backlash these days. Sydney Chapman explained how fans reacted negatively to the new “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie poster, which dropped in December. The poster showed Sonic with muscular legs, which didn’t sit well with traditional fans. The backlash to the backlash didn’t go over well.