It’s possible we already have an Aladdin cast for Disney’s latest live-action dig into everyone’s treasured childhood memories. Victorious hottie and the answer to old people’s questions “who’s that?”, Avian Jogia will likely fly the coveted Aladdin carpet straight to teen girls’ hearts, but who should be his plus one? We’ve got a few strong ideas. You’re welcome, Disney.
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is already considered an influential princess amongst the Bollywood community. Since deemed Miss World in 2002, her acting and music career has flourished. Her experience and skills gained from Miss World have the potential to be very helpful if playing Jasmine.
Recently, Chopra has made her way to American hearts when she starred in the movie Baywatch and ABC thriller series Quantico. Appearance wise, she’s exactly what Aladdin director Guy Ritchie and his studio are looking for since he’s looking for someone of Indian or Middle-Eastern descent.
In the past, Priyanka has been known to dazzle audiences with her talent and would show much promise if starring as Jasmine.
[Melanie Ekizian, Intern]
Ariana Grande
From my boyhood encounter with Disney’s Aladdin, I have a strong memory of Jasmine and what she looks like: Tan skin, dark hair, and a great voice. I grew up with a huge crush on Jasmine so the live-action replacement has large shoes to fill.
In our current entertainment world, only one young lady fits the bill. Grammy award nominee Ariana Grande checks off all the boxes. The pop superstar possesses the potential to shine in a live action version of the beloved animated classic. From 2010-2013, Grande even starred with the potential Aladdin (Avam Yogia) in the Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious. I might even predict that a successful debut here might lead to a future two-way career for Miss Grande.
[Ryan Aday, FANDOM Contributor]
Rubina Ali / Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar / Freida Pinto
Aladdin and Princess Jasmine were 18 years old in Disney’s now 25-year-old hit. If the headlines are correct and Avan Jogia is set to play Aladdin, then the studio is targeting a slightly older look for their upcoming live-action version.
Two names that could pop up to play Princess Jasmine are the women that played younger versions of Latika in the 2008 Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire: Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar (22) and Rubina Ali (18). If not too old, Freida Pinto (32), the eldest Latika in the movie, could also be a possible choice. These women have proven an interest in dancing, but can they sing?
[Rob Johnstone, Staff]
Sofia Boutella
Whether Sofia Boutella can sing or not is unclear, but as a professionally trained dancer, she definitely has the chops to take on the Princess of Agrabah. The Algerian-born actress would be an edgier choice for Disney, with her more recent roles including Jayla in Star Trek Beyond, Delphine in Atomic Blonde, and the villain in the recent Tom Cruise abomination, The Mummy. However, a darker, broodier Princess Jasmine could be an interesting direction for Disney to take the live-action Aladdin movie given the political climate. If Guy Ritchie really is signed on to direct, this might not be such a weird choice after all.
[Colette Smith, Staff]
Karen David
It’s probably cheating, but Karen David has some pretty good experience in playing Jasmine, because, well, she’s actually played Jasmine. The Indian-born Canadian actress starred as the Disney princess in season 6 of Once Upon a Time and absolutely nailed everything we love about Jasmine. Once Upon a Time‘s fan-base is massive, so Karen David would be a bold, yet unlikely move.
While Karen David is a long shot, she does have another advantage – she can sing. Her background is in musical theater, and in 2003 she launched a music career with some minor hits in Europe. She’s also a huge fangirl, sharing on Facebook how much of a fan of Jasmine’s character she is:
“Growing up, I adored Princess Jasmine from Aladdin. Having a Disney role model to look up to as a young teen, who was strong, smart, witty and true to herself, and happened to be diverse, was so inspiring!”
[Colette Smith, Staff]