A Disney remake is bound to draw reactions of all sorts when it’s announced. That being said, no one could have predicted how fans anticipating director Guy Ritchie’s big ticket blockbuster would dub actor Marwan Kenzari’s interpretation of Aladdin’s famous villain as “Hot Jafar.”
With such a title comes certain expectations, especially when you have a co-star like Will Smith busting your chops for what you wear to a premiere. Decked out for the L.A. premiere of Aladdin in a classic black tuxedo, Marwan Kenzari gave his adoring public the following message:
Thanks guys, I think of you. It’s very kind I do my best as you can see to keep [Hot Jafar] up. I cannot slack.
Marwan Kenzari has certainly lost the right to slack, as Aladdin has not only shown him what internet fandom looks like, but also what successful premiere attire looks like as well. And that is partially because of the film’s London premiere, which saw Will Smith and Guy Ritchie both making comments on Kenzari’s more subdued look for Aladdin’s regional bow, that the actor is paying more attention to his look.
For comparison, take a look at the side by side photos below, with Marwan Kenzari’s London outfit on the left, and his L.A. outfit on the right:
While ET Online started out with the question of how Marwan Kenzari’s been responding to his duties as “Hot Jafar,” a charismatic ambush from Will Smith during their red carpet interview triggered the discussion of what to wear to an event as big as the premiere of a major motion picture. While it’s important to be impartial, the tuxedo look on Kenzari is undoubtedly the killer.
As Aladdin opened to an $86 million weekend, going by the standard weekend timeframe as opposed to an extended Memorial Day weekend, the fans are still in the mood to see the Disney brand of magic make its way into a more live-action friendly context. That's something that even the villainous Jafar could smile about, when you think about where his story ends up in the animated canon.
Rest assured, should another Aladdin film find its way to a green light over at Disney, Marwan Kenzari is now fully briefed as to how he should work the red carpet in the future. And classic tuxedos are probably only the start, as any further action could see him mix it up with red and black outfits that hew closer to his infamous character’s color scheme. The sky’s the limit at this point.
Aladdin is currently in theaters now; but if you’ve already taken that trip to a whole new world, you can see what else is in store for this year with the 2019 release schedule.
