Shrugging off recent reports about a tricky casting search, Disney's new live-action version of Aladdin has been busy locking in its ensemble. Marwan Kenzari is in talks to play Jafar, with former Saturday Night Live performer Nasim Pedrad signing on.
Marwan, who will be seen in Kenneth Branagh's Murder On The Orient Express, would play the scheming villain, who causes problems for Aladdin (Mena Massoud) and Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), and has designs on the power of the Genie (Will Smith). Pedrad, meanwhile, has taken a new role, one created for this film. She's Mara, a handmaiden and friend to Jasmine.
Guy Ritchie is directing the film, with John August providing the script, inspired by the 1992 animated version and that film's original inspiration, One Thousand And One Nights. There's no word on a release date yet.