Aladdin live-action remake won’t be whitewashed

Aladdin‘s producer promises that Disney won’t whitewash its upcoming live-action remake.

The film’s producer Dan Lin told Collider that Disney is looking to have a diverse cast and won’t whitewash the lead roles, revealing that director Guy Ritchie, “has the same vision”:

“So when I came in to make the movie, I wanted to make a diverse version of the movie. Luckily for me Guy Ritchie has the same vision and Disney has the same vision, so we’re not here to make Prince of Persia.” he said.

Aladdin has been the subject of a petition, with almost 18 thousand names signed up against whitewashing in the film:

Tell #Disney not to #whitewash its upcoming live-action adaptation of #Aladdin: https://t.co/aniFiYhaFK pic.twitter.com/WUoVyNhjny

— Care2.com (@Care2) October 28, 2016

Lin also confirmed that the remake will be a musical, and hinted at Ritchie casting newcomers to play the lead roles:

“We’re gonna be discovering new people because it’s a real challenge, because not only does an actor have to act, but they really have to have singing chops,” he said.

Aladdin is yet to receive a release date, but Disney’s next live-action remake is Beauty and the Beast, which arrives on March 17th.