Alan Tudyk is going from a galaxy far, far away to a whole new world.
Following the
release of the Aladdin trailer today, it was revealed that the
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actor is providing the voice of Iago, the wise-cracking parrot and loyal sidekick of the villainous Jafar, in Disney's live-action adaptation of the animated classic.
Our only glimpse of Iago in the upcoming live-action film came briefly during
the initial teaser trailer for
Aladdin, and that was only a quick shot of the parrot flying above the streets of Agrabah.
Like Will Smith as the Genie, Alan Tudyk has some pretty big feathers to fill. Iago was originally voiced by Gilbert Gottfried in the 1992 animated movie and its sequels. Like Robin Williams' performance as the Genie, Gottfried's voice is so unique that it became synonymous for the character.
Voicing a character as iconic as Iago is no easy task, but Tudyk has an impressive resume and plenty of voice-acting experience. He's provided the voice for characters in numerous Disney movies including
Wreck-It Ralph (King Candy),
Frozen (Duke of Weselton),
Big Hero 6 (Alistair Krei),
Zootopia (Duke Weaselton), Moana (Heihei),
Ralph Breaks the Internet (KnowsMore) and, of course,
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (K-2SO).
Iago was a fairly prominent character in the animated movie, so it'll be interesting to see what sort of role he plays in Guy Ritchie's adaptation. For those of us who grew up in the '90s and early 2000s, Gottfried
is Iago, so you can bet Tudyk will be under the microscope, much like Will Smith as the Genie.
Comparisons for both characters will undoubtedly be made, but I imagine Tudyk approached the role of Iago similar to how Will Smith approached the Genie; that is, recognizing the brilliance of the actor before him, paying homage to the original version, but doing his own unique thing with it in the adaptation.
A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, “Aladdin” is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, “Aladdin” is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s “Aladdin.”
Aladdin flies into theaters on May 24, 2019.