Disney is having trouble casting Aladdin.
While we've heard that Will Smith is in talks to portray the Genie, that's where casting success ends.
Director Guy Ritchie and the studio have been trying to find the right stars for the musical since March. They've searched around the globe and have seen around 2,000 actors and actresses for the lead roles of Jasmine and Aladdin.
But finding a male lead in his 20s who can act and sing has proven difficult — especially since the studio wants someone of Middle-Eastern or Indian descent (the animated film is set in the fictional Middle Eastern city of Agrabah). The original casting call specified that production was slated to begin by July, but the search has dragged on, with Disney and Ritchie having to go back to the drawing board multiple times.
Read more here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/aladdin-movie-disney-struggles-find-stars-1019690