With the rise of the Internet today, movie fans have the opportunity to freely exchange opinions about their favorite films and come up with numerous intriguing theories. For instance, Disney’s animated film Aladdin and its iconic Genie have been around for 23 years, and since then, enthusiastic fans have proposed many new theories about the characters in the film. One of these new theories has been confirmed by directors Ron Clements and John Musker.
The theory we are talking about here revolves around a scene at the beginning of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. If you pay attention, the street vendor appears at the start of the film, and the Genie character is also voiced by the same person, namely the late Robin Williams.
This has led fans to suggest that the street vendor is actually the Genie in disguise. This theory has received considerable support because we have seen the Genie transform into many different characters in the film; however, the fact that the Genie appears right at the beginning of the film raises questions about what that really means… it’s not simple at all.
The Street Vendor in Aladdin
Recently, in an interview, directors Clements and Musker shared their thoughts on this theory. And surprisingly, they confirmed it 100%: the street vendor is indeed the Genie.
“I believe that the street vendor appearing at the beginning of Aladdin is, in fact, the Genie. That is the truth! And this detail we included intentionally. At the end of the film, we wanted to reveal that he was indeed the Genie, and of course, the late Robin Williams voiced this character. However, due to the editing process, we ultimately had to cut the scene where the street vendor appears at the end of the film. But this remains the truth.”
Along with confirming this theory, Musker, Clements, and voice actor Scott Weinger (the voice of Aladdin) also addressed the persistent questions from fans about other theories.
Is it possible that the world of Aladdin is our future after a catastrophe that destroys human civilization?
The answer is no! The story of Aladdin is set in the city of Baghdad, a place inspired by events after the Gulf War, but certainly, it is not a depiction of the future of the world we are living in.
Is it true that Aladdin said “Check it out…”?
Sorry, but… that’s not true, and Weinger responded as follows:
“I find it quite sad that so many people can think that Aladdin says a line like ‘Check it out.’ There are many websites that claim this is true. Then some people also analyze the scene to see what he actually says. The truth is I never said that at all. You know, at that time I was working with Robin Williams, a person I really admired; therefore, there was no reason for me to voice such a silly line.”
Aladdin and Jasmine do not appear in Hercules
To be sure, you might want to ask Clements and Musker, the directors of both Aladdin and Hercules. If there is a hidden detail like that, they would have to confirm it with us. And the star appearing in Hercules is Pegasus, not Aladdin and Jasmine.
