Will Smith appears on Good Morning America today to talk honoring Robin Williams' legacy for his role as Genie in the upcoming Live-Action adaptation of Aladdin (which hits theaters May 24th).
The I Am Legend Actor spoke about how the offer for the role came about suddenly, and his initial hesitation towards making the decision. "When you take a role like this, you wanna find where there's some meat left on the bone. What you would do differently." He goes on to admit watching Robin Williams "smashing it so hard" in the original, and feeling somewhat intimidated to add his own magic to the character. "The one thing that I latched onto was the idea that it was going to be Live-Action." He continues by adding that Robin Williams "revolutionized what you do in these types of films, using modern references and things like that." And explains that for him, the hip-hop angle was the one he "saw would be [his] end."
He explains how listening to the original movie's soundtrack helped him make his final decision. "It was the music, where I saw I could add my flavor, where I could honor the nostalgia and pay homage to Robin but also be able to add my own flavor."
"This is the most fun I've ever had making a movie." The actor/rapper reveals, "It's singing, it's dancing, it's rapping, it's acting, it's special effects, it's action, it's so much heart." He jokingly mentions how he has made some "questionable" films in the past, but that this one is definitely one to watch. "What was so beautiful is that the ideas behind the film are ideas I want to share with the world." He says, going on to share some of the wholesome values the movie incorporates, such as "being yourself, being confident and strong enough, and honoring yourself." "We had such a beautiful time making this movie and I think it's going to be infused into the film"
"I can in good conscious encourage you to go see this one."
Are you planning to see Aladdin in theaters? According to box office projections, it's expected to hit $80 million opening weekend.