Though his name might not be on all the posters and DVD covers, it's clear to pretty much everyone that the true star of Aladdin is Robin Williams' Genie. But this instantly recognisable figure didn't always look like a gigantic blue Craig David. There are a whole host of different versions of the Genie that can be found online, but here are two of the most striking: one where he's green (as he is in many of the original concept sketches) and appearing to be on the same wavelength as Heimlich from A Bug's Life, and another much more akin to his final form, albeit around 300 pounds lighter (although, in actuality, he must not actually weigh anything, right?). What is clear, though, is that of all the Genie's designs, the final version is by far the best.
1. The Beast (Beauty And The Beast)
'Tale as old as time...' It really is difficult to see the Beast without Mrs. Potts' signature tune ringing in your eyes. With the Beast, the Disney animators managed to create an anti-hero that was capable of looking frighteningly vicious one minute and heartwarmingly fragile the next. But it took a while getting there. Like the Genie, there were a lot of different versions of the Beast before the development of this final creation. Here are two are the most horrifying: a sort of boar-type creature that seems to have stolen Hamlet's wardrobe, and then a kind of half-dog, half-rat with a penchant for extravagant headgear and a garish streak of blond hair. Luckily, the final form of the Beast was far less of, well, a beast, and simply a bigger, hairier, toothier version of his human self, most visible in those beautiful baby blue eyes. What do you think of these alternative Disney character designs? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread below.
I'm a university graduate/full-time layabout who fills his days writing fiction, watching 90s sitcoms and growing irate after failing to catch Mewtwo with 99 ultra balls on Pokémon Red. I think that says it all, really, doesn't it?
