Billy Magnussen has been cast to play a character in the upcoming live-action "Aladdin" movie. (Reuters)
Billy Magnussen, a white actor, has been cast to play a prince in Disney’s upcoming “Aladdin” live action remake but many social media users criticized the move, accusing the studio giant of "whitewashing" the film's plot.
Magnussen, who played a prince in Disney’s “Into the Woods,” was slated to play Prince Anders, who was not a character in the 1992 animated version. The Telegraph reported that Magnussen’s character would be Aladdin’s rival to winning over Princess Jasmine’s heart.
Social media critics slammed the casting decision Tuesday and accused Disney of “whitewashing” the plot of the film.
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One social media user tweeted: “Should #actor Billy Magnussen step down as ‘Prince Anders’ the newly created white character in #Aladdin?”
“Why did they add a white prince to #Aladdin? This is going to be a disaster,” another Twitter user wrote.
The original animated Disney film was based on an Arab-style folktale and depicted the characters as being of Middle Eastern descent.
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The upcoming live-action film has already been criticized for its casting. Disney was slammed for casting British actress Naomi Scott, who has Indian heritage, to play Jasmine, a Middle Eastern princess, according to the Independent.
The film, which was set to be directed by Madonna’s former husband, Guy Ritchie, does not have a release date yet.
Cast member Naomi Scott poses at the premiere of "Power Rangers" in Los Angeles, California U.S., March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni - RC114DF37160 (REUTERS)
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