Aladdin: First Look at Will Smith’s Genie Horrifies Just About Everyone

Disney released the first proper trailer for Guy Ritchie’s live-action Aladdin remake last night. In it, we got to see Mena Massoud as Aladdin, witnessed the magnificent Agrabah and the Cave of Wonders, and caught a little glimpse of Jafar and Iago, too, along with Aladdin and Jasmine’s first meeting.

Which was nice.

Then, there came the big reveal – Will Smith as the Genie. Previously, Smith had appeared in some glossy promotional photos for the forthcoming film looking, well, basically like himself, but dressed as a Genie. However, the actor had warned fans that in the actual film, he would indeed be blue, like Disney’s animated version of the character, famously voiced by the late Robin Williams.

It’s safe to say that no one was prepared for the sight that awaited them when Smith’s Genie lurched up on screen. If you haven’t seen it yet, strap yourself in, because you’re about to have an experience.

Here’s the trailer debuting Smith as a rather more blue Genie…

Yes. Indeed. Quite.

Reactions were pouring in swiftly, as you can probably imagine, and we’ve prepped a general look at the rollercoaster of WTF that viewers went on after the trailer landed.

David Cross’ Blue Man Group audition bit in Arrested Development was a popular choice:

First look at Will Smith as the Genie in the up coming live action Aladdin pic.twitter.com/yFLxrVJXv2

— Xanny DeVito (@trevorstweetss) February 11, 2019

Yikes:

%u201CShould he look like the genie or like Will Smith?%u201D %u201CYes.%u201D pic.twitter.com/54sRUKXiRB — American Antony Santos (@TheMikeTre) 11 February 2019

Same. Same:

When Will Smith’s face popped up on that poorly animated blue genie. #Aaladin #Grammys pic.twitter.com/mHMDcyQQau

— Tell Me Your Cheesin Fam 🧀 (@shizzyshane215) February 11, 2019

Well, this is in bad taste (but also, yes):

The Will Smith genie makes me feel the same way I feel when a celebrity dies: Nauseous, sad, and like I can%u2019t wait to tell everybody about it — Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) 11 February 2019

Comparing any big name CG appearance to that of The Rock’s turn in The Mummy Returns is not good. Not good at all. That’s the benchmark of awful. While we wouldn’t go that far, it’s not a million miles away from Scorpion King Dwayne:

Wonder if Will Smith's Genie is related to The Rock’s Scorpion King from The Mummy 2. pic.twitter.com/SLfRLYAddV

— Jax (@JaxBladeFitness) February 11, 2019

“Nerd website articles?” Never heard of them *sweating*:

god live action genie looks exactly like an “what if will smith played the genie in a live action version of aladdin?” image for a 2008 nerd website article — Colin Spacetwinks (@spacetwinks) 11 February 2019

All good and valid questions:

Why is he so cgi, why did he even necessarily have to be blue. Aladdin and Jasmine have different outfits, why not just Will Smith in a cool genie outfit

— Jenny Nicholson (@JennyENicholson) February 11, 2019

This may be the clear winner, as it stands:

In ancient Arabia, bottled and raised, at the cave of wonders spending most of my days chillin%u2019 out maxin%u2019 relaxin%u2019 all cool grantin%u2019 wishes to street rats outside the school pic.twitter.com/c3t49tXyZj — Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) 11 February 2019

We’re also starting to suspect that Demi Adejuyigbe has some kind of sixth sense. His Aladdin parody song from the middle of 2017 is beginning to look like it might be closer to reality than even he could have possibly imagined…

Aladdin will be released on May 24.