Will Smith Confirms His Genie In 'Aladdin' Remake Will Be Blue Amid Backlash

Many people on Twitter criticized the first look of the actor's Genie on the cover of Entertainment Weekly.
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Will Smith made a whole lot of people blue on Twitter.

On Wednesday, Entertainment Weekly tweeted its latest cover, which features the main cast of Disney’s live-action “Aladdin” including Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Naomi Scott (Princess Jasmine) and Smith (Genie) dressed as their respective characters.

We can show you the world... of Disney’s live-action #Aladdin! Get a shining, shimmering, splendid first look at the reimagined classic in our magical First Look issue: https://t.co/Kwkcdfen5v pic.twitter.com/7NbyiRRcLH

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) December 19, 2018

And Smith’s Genie received a whole new world of criticism.

pic.twitter.com/IBd7jXpQgP

— Amit Gawas 👍 (@amitgawas99) December 19, 2018

But the most overwhelming condemnation came from the original 1992 animated film’s most purist fans: They were disappointed that Genie (originally voiced by Robin Williams) wasn’t blue.

Genie ain't blue :'( #Aladdin pic.twitter.com/Ia9taqV1nj

— BossLogic (@Bosslogic) December 19, 2018

Will should have just blue himself? pic.twitter.com/vnIbKpal7Z

— James Buttress (@jamesbuttress) December 19, 2018

Fixed it real quick. #Aladdin pic.twitter.com/FFs5oPLUUn

— Kevin Sparrow (@KevinSparrrow) December 19, 2018

They had one job with the genie... pic.twitter.com/YANAAtflcu

— Cameron 🎥 (@Camo1023) December 19, 2018

Their disapproval was so intense that Smith even felt compelled to respond to the backlash on Instrgram, explaining that Genie would be blue in the film. The 50-year-old actor said that his appearance on the EW cover was Genie’s form when disguised as a human.

The lack of blue wasn’t Twitter’s sole complaint, however. Users really went to town making fun of Smith’s look as Genie.

pic.twitter.com/DIAvSrJ2jL

— Ryan Nekko 🇧🇷 (@Eu_Nekko) December 19, 2018

pic.twitter.com/LpUj5X9PpQ

— your least favorite pun enthusiast (@JCantWrite) December 19, 2018

Tell me I’m wrong. pic.twitter.com/QcY4K8NR0m

— Daniel “Prancer” Summers (@WFKARS) December 19, 2018

And many thought he looked like comedian Sinbad.

Listen if you wanted Sinbad to be the genie you could have just hired him. You didn't have to turn Will Smith into him. #alladin pic.twitter.com/hXlRYo9aVh

— Leon (@LeonCoTheThird) December 19, 2018

pic.twitter.com/a5IckCZJzt

— evan romano (@EvanRomano) December 19, 2018

So when I was a kid, I distinctly remember there was this VHS tape at the local video store for the movie Shazaam!, starring the actor Sinbad, and he was on the box, and now I can't find it on the Internet https://t.co/TUSH7JT85o

— Michael Roston (@michaelroston) December 19, 2018

But that may have been because many mistakenly believe Sinbad played a genie in a ’90s movie named “Shazaam,” when it was actually Shaquille O’Neal in “Kazaam.”

Are you sure it was Sinbad? pic.twitter.com/izWhwtCCyA

— Abu el Banat (@DonShappelle) December 19, 2018

“Shazaam” does not exist, despite what Reddit may have you believe. Sinbad himself has denied on Twitter that he played a genie in a film called “Shazaam” in the past.

never played a genie ... That was Shaq in Shazam

— Sinbad (@sinbadbad) August 9, 2016

Have you noticed no one my age has seen this so called Sinbad Genie movie, only you people who were kids in the 90's. The young mind !

— Sinbad (@sinbadbad) September 7, 2016

Okay for all you people who think I did a genie movie.. well haven’t done one YET , but I am going to do one so we can close this chapter

— Sinbad (@sinbadbad) December 23, 2016

Yet, regardless of people’s opinions and cloudy memories, we’re sure both Smith and Sinbad felt a bit like this after seeing their social media alerts today:

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