'Aladdin' proves to be a box office success

Since its release on May 23, Disney's live action remake Aladdin has attracted a total of 9.22 million moviegoers in South Korea. Eyes are on if the Disney movie will break the 10 million mark before Disney’s another live-action film Lion King opens on July 17. Many young people in their 20s and 30s are watching the newest film for several times in a variety of versions, such as 2D and 4DX, and people in their 40s are going to the theaters as well, reminiscing about the 1992 animated version. A very strong 8.1 percent of people saw the film again in theaters as of Sunday, which is a similar figure with blockbuster movies, such as Avengers: Endgame and Frozen. Aladdin has become a box office success with 900 million U.S. dollars in worldwide grosses.

This remarkable feat has been achieved among strong competitors including Parasite, which won the top prize at the Cannes, Avengers: Endgame, Dark Phoenix, and Spider-Man: Far From Home. “This film is being loved by all genders and ages thanks to the music appealing to all generations and the coming-of-age story of Aladdin and Jasmine,” said movie critic Kang Yoo-jeong.

The upgraded characters played by the actors have taken this well-known story on a magic carpet ride. When the trailer was out, the film had been mocked due to Will Smith’s Genie but the audience started to go wild about the character after the film was released. Some even said Will Smith was actually Genie, who became human seeking for freedom.

Mena Massoud, who was born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in Canada, said in an interview that Aladdin was the only Disney movie he saw as a child that featured a similar character to him (Middle Easterner). He showed affection for the character he played who shows the positive side of the Middle East. Above all, music numbers, such as “A Whole New World,” “Prince Ali,” and “Arabian Nights” are at the center of the film’s box office success. Jasmine’s solo number “Speechless” depicts a new female character, which is reimagined as strong and independent.

“As for Bohemian Rhapsody, Screen X theaters were popular among the moviegoers while presenting the feeling as if they’re at the Live Aid concert in the movie. On the other hand, 4DX theaters are more popular among Aladdin fans as they help them experience the magic carpet ride,” said Hwang Jae-hyun, head of PR at CGV. “A combination of great story and screening technology is contributing to the increase of admissions.”


Seo-Hyun Lee baltika7@donga.com