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Live Action ‘Aladdin’ Remake Casts Alan Tudyk As Voice Of Iago

By Shah Shahid
Published on: 10:43 PST, Mar 12, 2019

Alan Tudyk has added another character to the list of voices that he’s done for Disney. A quick glance at Tudyk’s IMDb page shows that he has voiced characters in movies such as Rogue One, Wreck-It Ralph, Zootopia, Moana, and much more. The actor has now been confirmed in a Hollywood Reporter report to be the voice of Iago, the villainous sidekick to the main antagonist Jafar, in the live-action adaptation of Aladdin.

Previously voiced by Gilbert Gottfried in the original animated Aladdin, and all its subsequent films and spin-offs, Iago can be seen as the comic relief of the Aladdin franchise. The character is not at all a villain that can be considered a threat, but is more dangerous in his capacity as a spy, to relay information to the main bad guy. Iago is more like the Hyenas of The Lion King: manipulative, sneaky, and cowardly.

As The Inquisitr reported recently, a new full-length trailer for the live action Aladdin reveals a lot more about the new film. While most of the trailers have shown a parrot, presumably Iago, flying around, none have really focused on the bird being able to speak at all. So audiences weren’t sure what to expect of the treatment of his character.

With the confirmation of Tudyk voicing the bird, audiences can expect some familiar aspects of the original to make it into the remake. The new film stars Will Smith as Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, and Naomi Scott as Jasmine. While the depiction of the Genie has garnered the movie a lot of backlash and criticism, as seen in this IndieWire report, the new trailer definitely looks to set the record straight. Casting a fan favorite actor like Tudyk in the role of Iago also feels like a step by Disney to regain fan support for the film. Tudyk is very much a genre actor who has a lot of geek credibility to his name and always engages fans on social media or through conventions and events. And his fans are loving his turn as the bad guy bird in Aladdin.

While Iago has always been a minimal supporting character, the bird may get a bit more to do in the live action version of Aladdin. The recent trailer shows a sequence of Aladdin and his pet monkey Apu being chased by what looks like a giant bird, smashing through buildings. With magic and fantasy a common aspect in the world of Aladdin, Iago getting a large makeover could definitely be in the realm of possibilities. In which case, it helps to have a talented actor like Tudyk to not only be comedic but also menacing.

(L-R) Diane Guerrero, Alan Tudyk, Timothy Dalton, Brendan Fraser, Jeremy Carver, Sarah Schechter, April Bowlby, and Joivan Wade of the television show 'Doom Patrol' speak during the Warner Bros., segment of the 2019 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on February 09, 2019 in Pasadena, California.
(L-R) Diane Guerrero, Alan Tudyk, Timothy Dalton, Brendan Fraser, Jeremy Carver, Sarah Schechter, April Bowlby, and Joivan Wade of the television show ‘Doom Patrol’ speak during the Warner Bros., segment of the 2019 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on February 09, 2019 in Pasadena, California.

Aladdin releases on May 24.

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