In the vibrant and bustling fictional city of Agrabah, a charming street rat named Aladdin dreams of a better life and unexpectedly falls in love with the independent Princess Jasmine, who is determined to succeed her father as Sultan. When Aladdin is manipulated by the ambitious and power-hungry Grand Vizier Jafar into retrieving a magical lamp from the perilous Cave of Wonders, he accidentally unleashes a larger-than-life, wish-granting Genie. With the Genie's help, Aladdin transforms into a wealthy prince to win Jasmine's heart, but he must ultimately rely on his true self to defeat Jafar and save the kingdom from tyranny.
Information |
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|---|---|
Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
May 24, 2019 |
Running time |
128 minutes |
Genre |
Adventure Comedy Family Fantasy Musical Romance |
Budget |
$183,000,000 |
Box Office |
$1,054,304,000 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Guy Ritchie |
Produced by |
Dan Lin Jonathan Eirich |
Written by |
John August Guy Ritchie |
Music by |
Alan Menken |
Cinematography |
Alan Stewart |
Edited by |
James Herbert |
Production Co. |
Walt Disney Pictures Rideback Marc Platt Productions |
Distributed by |
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Official Trailer
The Plot
A Tale on the Open Sea
The story begins far out on the rolling waves of the open sea, aboard a modest, weathered small boat. A human Mariner is sailing the world with his beloved wife, Dalia, and their two bright-eyed children, Lian and Omar. As a massive, majestic ship sails past them, the children look on in absolute awe, wishing aloud that they could be aboard such a grand vessel. The Mariner gently reminds his children that their small boat has bravely survived many fierce storms and holds its own unique magic. Seeing their wide-eyed wonder, he decides it is the perfect time to sing them a song of "Arabian Nights" and tell them a legendary tale of a street rat, a brave princess, and a magic lamp.
The Streets of Agrabah
The narrative transports us to the sprawling, sun-drenched metropolis of Agrabah, a vibrant cosmopolitan city where traders from all corners of the globe converge to sell their wondrous treasures and wares. Here lives Aladdin, a kind-hearted but impoverished orphaned street urchin, alongside his loyal pet monkey and partner-in-crime, Abu. To survive, the duo relies on being sneaky, swiping small items from unsuspecting citizens and pawning them off to a local trader named Zulla, who openly dislikes Aladdin. However, despite his thieving ways, Aladdin possesses a heart of gold; he is quick to share his meager food supply, like a freshly acquired bag of dates, with a starving family who needs it far more than he does.
One bustling afternoon, Aladdin's keen eyes spot a breathtakingly beautiful girl wandering the marketplace. Unbeknownst to him, she is Princess Jasmine, disguised as a commoner to escape her sheltered, suffocating life within the royal palace. Her kind heart gets her into immediate trouble when she takes some bread from a merchant's stand and gives it to two hungry children. Lacking any money to pay, she is aggressively accused of stealing by the furious shop owner, who attempts to punish her. Aladdin swiftly intervenes, charming his way into the situation and using Jasmine’s gorgeous family bracelet as payment for the bread. With practiced sleight of hand, he promptly swipes the bracelet right back from the merchant before the man even realizes he has been duped.
Once the merchant discovers the deceit, he unleashes the Royal Guards. Aladdin fiercely protects Jasmine, and the two embark on a thrilling, high-stakes parkour chase across the rooftops and crowded alleys of the city, staying "One Jump Ahead" of the heavily armed soldiers. After narrowly eluding their pursuers, Aladdin takes the breathless girl back to his "home"—an abandoned, crumbling tower that offers a spectacular, sweeping view of the entire city.
A Stolen Bracelet and a Royal Secret
Within the quiet safety of the tower, Aladdin and Jasmine share a warm cup of tea and a deep conversation. Both express a profound sense of feeling trapped, unable to escape the strict confines of the lives they were born into. When Aladdin asks her name, she introduces herself as Dalia. However, Aladdin's sharp street-smarts kick in; he studies the fine material of her dress and the exquisite craftsmanship of her bracelet, astutely deducing that she must be the handmaiden to the Princess of Agrabah. Jasmine plays along, not revealing that Dalia is actually the name of her handmaid and best friend.
Their tender moment is abruptly cut short when the distant royal horns blow, signaling the arrival of a new suitor at the palace. Jasmine realizes she must leave immediately. She asks for her mother's bracelet back, but Aladdin pats his pockets, feigning ignorance, and claims he has misplaced it. In truth, the mischievous Abu has already stolen it. Heartbroken and furious, Jasmine concludes that Aladdin is nothing more than an incorrigible thief and storms off. Moments later, as guards on horseback aggressively ride through the market, nearly trampling some children, Aladdin steps in to insult one of them. The guard sneers, viciously telling Aladdin that he is nothing but a worthless street rat who will die alone. Dejected and painfully aware of his low station, Aladdin slumps back to his lonely tower.
The Vizier’s Dark Ambition
Back at the opulent royal palace, Jasmine and her father, the Sultan, are presented to Prince Anders of Skanland, a remarkably dim-witted suitor seeking the Princess's hand in marriage. When the foolish Prince attempts to taunt Jasmine's fierce pet tiger, Rajah, like a common house cat, the great beast attacks, sending Anders fleeing in terror. The Sultan is deeply frustrated by Jasmine's constant rejection of suitors, pointing out that Skanland could have been a valuable ally and reminding her that the kingdom's 1000-year history dictates she must marry a prince. Jasmine, highly educated and deeply capable, is immensely frustrated that conservative laws prevent her from succeeding her father and ruling the beloved city she wants to protect.
Meanwhile, the Sultan's trusted Grand Vizier, a sinister man named Jafar, is meticulously plotting to overthrow the Sultan. Jafar harbors deep resentment, having spent five agonizing years rotting in a jail in Shirabad—the very kingdom from which Jasmine's late mother hailed. Fed up with playing second fiddle, Jafar urges the Sultan to use Agrabah's armies to invade Shirabad. To force compliance, Jafar uses his magical, cobra-shaped staff to deeply hypnotize the Sultan. However, Jasmine fiercely storms into the throne room, interrupting the trance and putting a stop to the invasion. The Sultan, momentarily regaining his senses, firmly tells Jafar to stay in his place.
Unbeknownst to the royals, Jafar has another, much darker plan. He has spent months standing outside the enchanted Cave of Wonders, a treacherous cavern in the shape of a lion's head, sending potential candidates to retrieve a magical lamp. Every single one has been deemed unworthy and swallowed alive by the shifting sands. The Cave's booming voice has made it clear that only the "Diamond in the Rough" may enter safely.
The Diamond in the Rough
Determined to make things right with the girl he believes is the handmaiden, Aladdin bravely sneaks past the heavily armed palace guards under the cover of night. Unfortunately, Jafar's devious pet parrot, Iago, spots the street rat scaling the walls and quickly alerts his master that the "Diamond in the Rough" has finally arrived. Aladdin manages to locate the princess's chambers, where he returns the precious bracelet. To keep up the ruse, Jasmine continues to pretend to be Dalia, urgently motioning for the real Dalia to act like the haughty Princess. Aladdin leaves her with a heartfelt promise to meet her again.
As he attempts to slip out of the palace grounds, Aladdin is violently apprehended by the royal guards and dragged straight to the desert on the outskirts of the city to face Jafar. The Vizier shatters Aladdin's illusions, revealing that the beautiful girl he met in the marketplace was no mere handmaiden, but Princess Jasmine herself. Appealing to Aladdin's desperate desire to be worthy of her, Jafar shares that he, too, was once a lowly street rat who rose to power. He promises to make Aladdin rich enough to impress the Princess as an absolute equal, but only if the boy helps him retrieve a simple oil lamp from a hidden cave.
The Cave of Wonders
By evening, they stand before the terrifying, roaring maw of the Cave of Wonders. Because Aladdin is the true Diamond in the Rough, the magical entity permits him to enter safely. As Aladdin and Abu descend into the cavern, they are immediately surrounded by mountains of wondrous, glittering treasures—gold coins, ancient artifacts, and towering jewels. The Cave's ethereal voice strictly warns them: they are to retrieve only the lamp, and they must absolutely not touch any other treasure, lest they be trapped inside forever.
Navigating the treacherous depths, Aladdin notices a sentient, beautifully woven Magic Carpet pinned beneath a massive, heavy rock. Showing his innate kindness, Aladdin heaves the rock away, freeing the Carpet, which immediately befriends him. Guided by the Carpet, Aladdin climbs a towering rocky pinnacle and successfully grasps the dusty brass lamp. However, at the very bottom of the cavern, the mischievous Abu becomes helplessly mesmerized by a gigantic, glowing red ruby held by a golden monkey idol. Unable to resist, Abu snatches the gem.
Instantly, the spirit of the cave roars in deafening anger. The floor violently splits open, and massive rivers of molten lava erupt all around them. The cave begins to cave in, dropping massive boulders. Aladdin and Abu fall, but the Magic Carpet swoops in, catching them mid-air and frantically dodging the falling debris to carry them toward the exit. Reaching the treacherous ledge near the entrance, Aladdin begs Jafar for help. Jafar demands the lamp first. The moment Aladdin hands it over, the treacherous Vizier kicks Aladdin and Abu back into the dark abyss. Enraged by the betrayal, Abu aggressively lunges at Jafar, biting him before plummeting into the darkness. Jafar sneers in triumph, only to check his robes moments later and scream in utter fury—the clever little monkey had stolen the lamp right back during the scuffle.
A Friend Like No Other
Trapped in the pitch-black, silent ruins of the cave, a bruised Aladdin tries to understand why the Vizier would betray him over such a seemingly worthless, dusty object. Noticing the dirt on the metal, Aladdin gives the lamp a gentle rub. Suddenly, the cavern is illuminated in brilliant, chaotic blue light as a wildly powerful, omnipotent Genie explodes from the spout. Bursting with energy after being trapped inside the lamp for 1,000 long years, the Genie introduces himself through a spectacular musical number, showcasing his phenomenal cosmic powers.
The Genie explains the ironclad rules to his new master: Aladdin is granted exactly three wishes, as long as he physically holds the lamp. However, there are strict limitations—he cannot wish for more wishes, he cannot bring anyone back from the dead, and he cannot force anyone to fall in love. With quick-witted cunning, Aladdin casually asks the Genie to get them out of the cave, but intentionally does so without holding the lamp. The Genie bursts them out of the rubble and into the sprawling desert dunes, only to realize he has been spectacularly tricked into granting a freebie; Aladdin's three wishes remain entirely intact.
Sitting in the peaceful desert night, Aladdin asks the Genie what he would wish for if he had the choice. The immortal being confesses a deeply held, impossible dream: he simply wishes to be free from servitude, to be an ordinary human who isn't forced to grant the desires of whoever holds his prison. Touched by the Genie's tragic existence, Aladdin solemnly promises to use his third and final wish to set the Genie free. The Genie is stunned, noting that in all his thousands of years, no master has ever offered to sacrifice a wish for his freedom.
The Grand Parade of Prince Ali
Determined to woo Princess Jasmine, Aladdin realizes he cannot court her as a lowly street rat; the ancient laws dictate she can only marry a prince. Thus, Aladdin uses his official first wish: "I wish to become a prince." The Genie warns that there is a "grey area" in such a wish, but proceeds to give Aladdin a spectacular princely makeover, transforming him into "Prince Ali of Ababwa." To complete the illusion, the Genie magically transforms the tiny monkey Abu into a towering, majestic elephant to serve as Ali's noble steed.
The next day, Agrabah is shaken by a mind-boggling, extravagant spectacle. Prince Ali parades through the city streets toward the Sultan's palace, accompanied by a magically conjured entourage of epic proportions. The parade boasts 75 golden camels, 53 purple peacocks, 95 white Persian monkeys, and an astonishing 10,000 servants, all tossing gold coins and exotic jams to the cheering crowds. While the Sultan is thoroughly delighted and warmly welcomes this incredibly wealthy new suitor, Jasmine is fiercely unimpressed. When Prince Ali attempts to present his lavish gifts, Jasmine takes deep offense, angrily stating that she is not a prize to be won and swiftly walking away.
A Magic Carpet Ride
That evening, a lavish party is thrown in Prince Ali's honor. Aladdin tries desperately to impress Jasmine, but his awkwardness shines through. The Genie attempts to help by using his magic to manipulate Aladdin's body, making him dance spectacularly in front of the entire royal court. Instead of swooning, Jasmine simply leaves the party, finding the display arrogant. Meanwhile, Jafar observes the newcomer from the shadows, his eyes narrowing with deep suspicion at Prince Ali's sudden, unexplainable wealth.
Realizing the grand gestures are failing, the Genie gives Aladdin crucial advice: just be himself. While the Genie magically distracts Dalia—taking her out for a romantic late-night stroll, as the two have become mutually smitten—Aladdin sneaks up to Jasmine's private balcony. Rajah the tiger approaches, but instead of attacking, he affectionately nuzzles the Prince. Aladdin introduces the Magic Carpet to Jasmine and extends his hand, asking the exact same question he asked when they were chased by guards in the market: "Do you trust me?"
Intrigued, Jasmine takes his hand. The two embark on a breathtaking, soaring flight across the starlit sky, leaving the confines of Agrabah to see the beautiful world she has always been denied. As they glide over the villages, watching the people from above, Jasmine's sharp intellect pieces the clues together. The words, the tiger's reaction, the eyes—she figures out that Prince Ali is actually the boy from the market. Panicked, Aladdin hastily lies, convincing her that he is truly a prince and only dressed as a common peasant to escape the pressures of palace life and explore Agrabah unseen. Mollified, Jasmine allows him to take her back to the palace, where they share a tender, romantic first kiss.
The Depths of the Sea and Jafar's Fall
The morning after their magical flight, Aladdin's joy is violently cut short. Jafar, having deduced the Prince's true identity, orchestrates an ambush. The royal guards capture Aladdin and bind him tightly. Jafar corners him in a high tower, demanding to know the location of the magic lamp. When Aladdin adamantly denies knowing anything, Jafar violently shoves him backward out of the high window. Aladdin plummets down into the crashing sea below, a heavy weight pulling him straight to the dark ocean floor.
As Aladdin struggles to free himself from his bindings, his lungs burning for air, Abu and the Magic Carpet desperately dive into the water above, dropping the magic lamp down to him. Aladdin's fingers brush the brass metal, but he loses consciousness before he can formally make a wish. Emerging from the lamp, the Genie is horrified to find his friend drowning. Unable to act without a wish, the Genie bends the cosmic rules—he grabs Aladdin's limp hand, pressing his thumb onto a magically conjured contract. Taking this as the second wish, the Genie forms a massive, swirling whirlpool out of the sea, rocketing Aladdin back to the surface and reviving him.
Coughing up water but alive, Aladdin immediately rushes to the throne room alongside the Genie. They confront the Sultan, with Jasmine by his side, to expose Jafar's treacherous attempted murder. Jafar sneers and raises his cobra staff, attempting to hypnotize the Sultan into believing the boy is lying. But Aladdin is ready; he lunges forward, swiping the staff from Jafar's grip and violently smashing it against the marble floor. The dark spell shatters. His mind finally clear, the Sultan realizes the Vizier's treason. Jafar is immediately stripped of his title, arrested by the guards, and dragged down into the dark, damp dungeons of the palace.
A Broken Promise and a Stolen Lamp
In the aftermath of the betrayal, the Sultan warmly thanks Aladdin for saving his life and the kingdom. Believing Prince Ali to be a wealthy royal, the Sultan joyfully offers him the position of heir to the throne and gives his blessing for Aladdin to marry his daughter. Overwhelmed by the massive responsibility of ruling a kingdom and terrified that Jasmine will leave him if she discovers he is truly a penniless street rat, Aladdin makes a heartbreaking decision. He tells the Genie that he cannot keep up this charade without magic, and therefore, he cannot use his third wish to set the Genie free as promised.
The Genie is deeply hurt and profoundly disappointed. He tells Aladdin that he is breaking his heart by choosing to continue living a lie, and sorrowfully retreats into the confines of his lamp. Riddled with guilt, Aladdin walks back to his old, dilapidated tower home in deep thought. Looking over the city, he realizes the Genie is right; he must tell Jasmine the truth, no matter the cost. He reaches into his robes to grab the lamp, only to freeze in pure panic. The lamp is gone.
Down in the dungeons, the loyal, treacherous parrot Iago had stolen the cell keys, successfully freeing his master. Disguised as a beggar, Jafar had expertly picked Aladdin's pocket in the crowded streets. Now standing in the shadows of the palace, Jafar violently rubs the brass, summoning the blue giant. Jafar is now the Genie's new master.
The Sorcerer's Reign
Jafar wastes no time plunging Agrabah into a nightmare. Marching into the throne room, he commands his first wish: "I wish to become Sultan!" The Genie reluctantly grants the wish, magically stripping the robes from the true Sultan and placing them upon Jafar. Jafar commands Hakim, the fiercely loyal Captain of the Guards, to arrest the former Sultan and the Princess. Hakim hesitates, torn between the magic and his duty. Jasmine steps forward, passionately appealing to Hakim's honor, reminding him of his lifelong loyalty to her family since he was just a young boy. Touched by her bravery, Hakim refuses to obey the usurper.
Enraged by this defiance, Jafar uses his second wish: "I wish to become the world's most powerful sorcerer!" Dark, crackling magic surges through Jafar's veins. With a flick of his wrist, he paralyzes the guards and imprisons Rajah the tiger. To assert his absolute dominance, he magically forces the Sultan and Dalia to their knees and threatens to kill them slowly unless Jasmine agrees to marry him immediately. Jasmine, finding her inner strength, refuses to let herself be silenced or put down, singing out her defiance and remaining "Speechless" no longer. Infuriated, Jafar exposes Prince Ali's true identity to the entire court, changing his royal garments back into rags. With a cruel laugh, Jafar waves his hands and banishes Aladdin and Abu to the frozen, desolate wasteland at the ends of the earth.
The Frozen Wasteland and the Giant Bird
Aladdin awakens violently shivering in a blinding blizzard, surrounded by jagged ice and knee-deep snow. Spotting Abu trapped in a deep, freezing crevice, Aladdin risks his life, sliding down the icy walls to pull his shivering monkey to safety. Back in Agrabah, the Genie—though bound to Jafar—manages to exploit a loophole, secretly teleporting the Magic Carpet across the world to find them. The Carpet arrives just in time, wrapping around the freezing pair to warm them before rocketing back toward the desert kingdom at breakneck speed.
Back at the palace, Jafar is forcing a horrific wedding ceremony upon Jasmine. As she stands in despair, her eyes catch a glimmer in the sky—Aladdin is approaching on the Magic Carpet. Playing along with the dreadful ceremony to buy time, Jasmine steps close to Jafar. With a swift, calculated movement, she swipes the magic lamp directly from his belt and leaps off the balcony onto the speeding Carpet.
Realizing he has been robbed, Jafar unleashes his dark sorcery. He shoots a blast of magic at Iago, transforming the small parrot into a terrifying, monstrous giant bird. The gargantuan Iago takes flight, relentlessly chasing the Carpet through the narrow, winding streets of Agrabah. During the frantic pursuit, the lamp is fumbled and nearly lost in the chaotic city below. Iago manages to snatch the lamp in his massive talons. Just as all hope seems lost, the captive Sultan bravely lunges forward on the balcony, physically shoving Jafar and breaking his concentration. The sorcerer's staff slips, shattering the spell. Iago reverts back to a regular parrot, dropping the lamp.
Furious beyond measure, Jafar raises his hands to the sky, casting a colossal, swirling sand twister. The terrifying vortex sweeps through the city, capturing Aladdin, Jasmine, and Abu, pulling them violently back to the palace balcony, and violently destroying the Magic Carpet in the process.
The Price of Ultimate Power
With his enemies violently thrown at his feet and entirely at his mercy, Jafar holds Jasmine, Dalia, and the Sultan under his dark magic. He boasts with manic glee, declaring himself the most powerful man in the world. But Aladdin, despite being pinned to the floor, quickly uses his street-smarts to concoct a desperate, cunning plan. He laughs, loudly retorting that Jafar is nowhere near as powerful as he believes. Aladdin points directly at the giant blue entity floating nearby, reminding Jafar that the Genie gave him his power, and the Genie can just as easily take it away. "You're not the most powerful," Aladdin taunts. "You will always be just second-best!"
The insult strikes the very core of Jafar's deep-seated insecurities. Realizing the truth in Aladdin's words, Jafar angrily vows that he will never be second best to anyone. He raises the lamp and furiously screams his third and final wish: "I wish to become the most powerful being in the universe!"
Understanding exactly what Aladdin has just orchestrated, the Genie smiles, noting the fatal ambiguity in the wish. "Your wish is my command," the Genie declares. Jafar's body erupts into blinding light as he is transformed into a massive, omnipotent red genie. Reveling in his godly, cosmic power, Jafar gleefully prepares a massive, crackling energy ball, intending to hurl it across the desert to utterly destroy the kingdom of Shirabad in revenge for his troubled past. But as he raises his arms, heavy, glowing golden shackles suddenly materialize, slamming shut around his thick wrists.
Jafar stares in sheer horror as his mighty energy ball dissipates. Aladdin and the Genie calmly explain the absolute rule of the cosmos: phenomenal cosmic power comes with an itty-bitty living space. Because Jafar did not specify what kind of being he wanted to become, the universe made him a genie—and genies are not free entities; they are slaves to a master. A newly materialized, pitch-black lamp clatters onto the marble floor. A powerful vacuum begins sucking the shrieking, terrified Jafar inside. Realizing he has been entirely foiled by his own insatiable greed, Jafar angrily vows revenge on Aladdin. As he is dragged into the spout, he reaches out and grabs the fleeing Iago, dragging the screaming parrot into the dark prison with him.
A Promise Kept and a New Dawn
With Jafar trapped, the dark magic gripping Agrabah is instantly broken. The sky clears, the Sultan and Dalia are freed from their paralysis, Abu is safe, and the Genie uses a spark of magic to perfectly repair the shredded Magic Carpet. Deciding to punish the treacherous Vizier, the Genie winds up his arm like a baseball pitcher and hurls Jafar’s black lamp miles across the desert, sending it flying straight into the dark depths of the Cave of Wonders, where the bickering Jafar and Iago will be forced to remain trapped in the sands as prisoners for a thousand years.
In the quiet aftermath, Aladdin humbly approaches Jasmine and the Sultan, offering a deep, sincere apology for deceiving them with his Prince Ali disguise. He turns to walk away, accepting that he is just a street rat and not right for the Princess. The Genie gently stops him, reminding Aladdin that he still has one final wish left. He could easily wish to become a prince again, or he could even use the wish to erase the ancient law preventing a prince from marrying a princess.
Aladdin looks at the lamp, then looks at his truest friend. Smiling, he holds the brass firmly and declares his third wish: "I wish to set you free."
Instantly, the heavy golden bands shatter and fall from the Genie's wrists. He transforms from a towering blue entity into a normal, mortal human, relinquishing his phenomenal cosmic powers forever. Overwhelmed with profound gratitude for his newfound freedom, the former Genie embraces Aladdin tightly. Now a free man, he approaches Dalia, asking if she would like to explore the world with him. She joyfully agrees, and the two look forward to sailing the seas and starting a family together.
Witnessing Aladdin's incredibly selfless act, the Sultan realizes that true worth is not determined by royal blood, but by the content of one's character. He turns to his brilliant daughter and officially passes his crown to her. Jasmine is crowned the new Sultana-regnant of Agrabah. Now possessing the absolute power to change the laws of the land, she is no longer bound to marry a prince. Seeing Aladdin trying to sneak away unnoticed, the new Sultana runs down the palace steps, catching up to him in the courtyard. The two embrace passionately, sharing a kiss as the sun sets over the cosmopolitan city. Soon after, Agrabah celebrates a magnificent wedding as Aladdin and Jasmine are married, standing side-by-side with their friends, ready to lead their kingdom into a bright, new world.
Top Cast
- Will Smith as Genie / Mariner
- Mena Massoud as Aladdin
- Naomi Scott as Jasmine
- Marwan Kenzari as Jafar
- Navid Negahban as Sultan
- Nasim Pedrad as Dalia
- Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders
- Numan Acar as Hakim
- Alan Tudyk as Iago (voice)
- Frank Welker as Abu / Cave of Wonders (voice)
