Billy Magnussen Joins Live Action ALADDIN as Brand-New Character!

It has been reported that Into the Woods star, Billy Magnussen has joined the cast of the upcoming Disney remake of Aladdin. According to the announcement, Magnussen will portray an entirely new character, Prince Anders. Details as to what role Anders will play in Aladdin's journey are currently under wraps.

He joins a cast that already includes Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, Will Smith will take on the Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as princess Jasmine and SNL alum, Nasim Pedrad as 'Mara', another role created specifically for the new movie.

Magnussen's other big screen turns include roles in Into the Woods, Ingrid Goes West, Bridge of Spies and The Big Short.

Director Guy Ritchie will helm the film which will feature a musical score written by Alan Menken and features six songs with lyrics written by both Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, who took over after Ashman's death. At this year's D23 Expo, Menken revealed that DEAR EVAN HANSEN's Benj Pasek and Justin Paul will pen the lyrics for the project's new songs.

Aladdin was released on November 25, 1992 and was the most successful film of 1992, earning over $217 million in revenue in the United States, and over $504 million worldwide. The film also won many awards, most of them for its soundtrack. The film is considered by many as the best film that came out during the Disney Renaissance. Aladdin's success led to other material inspired by the film, including two direct-to-video sequels, The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves, an animated television series of the same name.

In 2014, a musical stage adaptation of the film premiered on Broadway. James Monroe Iglehart won a 2014 Tony Award for his performance as Genie.