Disney criticized for casting a non-Arab actress as Princess Jasmine
"Brown people are not interchangeable."
"Brown people are not interchangeable."
After all that speculation, Disney announced the casting for its upcoming over the weekend.
Newcomer Mena Massoud nabbed the lead role of Aladdin alongside Will Smith as the iconic Genie and Naomi Scott of Power Rangers fame as Princess Jasmine in Guy Ritchie's new live-action adaptation.
But fans have criticized Disney for casting Scott as the Princess of Agrabah, saying the part should have gone to an actor of Arab heritage instead. Scott is of British, Ugandan and Gujarati Indian descent.
Taking to Twitter, one person : "All these Arab actresses on the planet and they cast half-white, half-Indian Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Indian isn't middle-eastern, Hollywood."
Another : "People have a right to be upset about Naomi Scott being cast. They're upset that their representation was taken away, and rightly so."
However, other social media users defended the casting, with one person replying: "Y'all are complaining that Naomi Scott doesn't have a brown-colored skin to play as Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, Will Smith ain't Blue."
Despite Aladdin being located in the fictional make-believe country of Agrabah, it's assumed that the country would be in the Middle East.
Disney was previously urged to avoid "whitewashing" after in the film.