10 Performances That Could Save Upcoming Movies

1. Will Smith - Aladdin

Robin Williams is irreplaceable. Disney had to come to terms with this fact at some point when setting up this live-action remake. So what do you do when you can't find the perfect replacement? Go for something different. Thankfully, instead of electing to recreate a poor imitation of an all-time-great performance directly tied to the performer that gave it, Disney chose the forever-likable Will Smith to make the 2019 genie his own thing.

And to the Fresh Prince's credit, this version of genie feels somewhat unfamiliar and different. Yes, he'll likely sing the same songs and looks to be a blue buff version of Hitch, but it's still a fresh interpretation. This will likely be Aladdin's saving grace as not much else (outside of the gorgeous shooting locations) has stood out. Aladdin himself has failed to make much of an impression, Jasmine seems to lack the original's striking personality, and live-action Jafar seems far too sleepy to be villainous.

Smith has the most freedom to go wherever he wants and do whatever he pleases with his performance, and he's taking advantage of it. If director Guy Ritchie falls back on his usual pitfalls and fails to provide a consistently-engaging experience, it'll be everyone else's job to get out of Will Smith's way so that he can take center stage.