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Disney Will Pay Homage To Robin Williams With ‘Aladdin’ Airings

By Niki Cruz
Published on: 04:11 PST, Aug 15, 2014

Since the passing of Robin Williams, many people and entertainment affiliates have memorialized the actor. Now, Disney is set to honor Williams for his voice role of the Genie in the film Aladdin.

According to Entertainment Weekly, most children who grew up in the 90s will be able to relive one of Robin Williams’ most notably roles with the re-airing of the 1992 animated film over several networks.

This isn’t the first Aladdin tribute we’ve seen. In addition to Broadway dimming its lights earlier this week, the cast of Broadway’s Aladdin honored Robin Williams in a special way. Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart, who plays the Genie in the show, led the audience in a sing-a-long to Williams’ most memorable song “Friend Like Me.”

As we reported about the film’s initial release, Robin Williams had a bit of a problem with Disney. In order for Williams to play the role of the Genie, he had Disney agree that his image and the character wouldn’t be plastered all over the place when marketing of the film happened. Sure enough, Disney went ahead and made the Genie, as well as Robin Williams, a huge part of the film campaign.

The original deal had Williams agreeing to voice the Genie if he made up 25 percent of the advertising and nothing more. He also didn’t want his name used for marketing. Disney agreed to Robin’s requests, but when it was time to push the movie out, it was a different story.

Since Robin’s death many of the actor’s co-workers and fans have posted tributes. His role in Aladdin has been one of the more popular images in his legacy.

The Academy is receiving a bit of backlash for their tribute which features the words “Genie, you’re free.”

Many publications and suicide prevention specialists have said that this particular tribute is alarming for its unintentional encouragement of suicide.

Christina Moutier, the chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention said this of the Academy’s tweet:

“If it doesn’t cross the line, it comes very, very close to it. Suicide should never be presented as an option. That’s a formula for potential contagion.”

The Washington Post highlights Moutier’s thoughts on what an image like that implies.

“The starry sky from Disney’s Aladdin, and the written implication that suicide is somehow a liberating option, presents suicide in too celebratory a light.”

In case you want to catch Williams as the Genie here’s a schedule of upcoming airings.

August 16 – 9 am – Disney Channel

August 16 – 6:30 pm – Disney Channel

August 17 – 11 am – Disney XD

August 17 – 6 pm – Disney XD

August 18 – 11 am – Disney Junior

[Image via Disney]

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