Disney really needs to work on their timing after The Hollywood Reporter broke the news they’re producing an Aladdin spinoff for Disney+ all about one of the movie’s most random characters – Prince Anders (Billy Magnussen).
The announcement comes just days after Aladdin star Mena Massoud revealed he hadn’t received any audition opportunities after starring in the film that grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
Speaking with The Daily Beast, the actor expressed his frustration at not being considered for roles, despite proving he’s capable as a leading man in a big-budget film.
“I’m kind of tired of staying quiet about it,” he said. “I want people to know that it’s not always dandelions and roses when you’re doing something like Aladdin. ‘He must have made millions. He must be getting all these offers.’ It’s none of those things. I haven’t had a single audition since Aladdin came out.”
“It’s wild to a lot of people,” he added. “People have these ideas in their head. It’s like, I’m sitting here being like, OK, Aladdin just hit $1 billion. Can I at least get an audition? Like I’m not expecting you to be like, here’s Batman. But can I just get in the room? Like, can you just give me a chance? So it’s not always what you think.”
It’s very strange to hear the studio is creating a Prince Anders spinoff given the character barely appeared in the movie. Perhaps if the announcement hadn’t come after Massoud’s news, the spinoff would have been met with enthusiasm.
Fans took to Twitter to slam Disney for the Prince Anders spinoff:
THR reports that Billy Magnussen came to the producers with the idea for a story and was involved in meeting potential writers for the series.