VIDEO: Fans react to Will Smith singing Prince Ali in new Aladdin teaser
14 May 2019, 17:26 | Updated: 14 May 2019, 17:49
Disney have shared a new clip, which sees Will Smith perform the famous track. However, fans' opinions are divided over his version of the track.
Disney have shared a clip which sees Will Smith sing Prince Ali from Aladdin.
The live action remake of the hit animation film stars The Fresh Prince of Bel Air icon as the Genie- a role which was made popular by the late Robin Williams.
The film - which stars Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scot as Jasmine - has previously shared trailers for the the remake, but has now shared a teaser of Will Smith singing as the blue character.
Watch their clip above.
Fans have rushed to react to the video, with some arguing it doesn't compare to the original.
See some of their reactions below:
One Twitter user let Will Smith speak for himself...
— Edward Sanchez 🖤 (@edwardistheman) May 14, 2019
It reminded some fans of just how much they loved Robin Williams' Genie:
Just watched the new Prince Ali number with Will Smith. Sigh, I just miss Robin Williams so much guys 😞 pic.twitter.com/5u43SJFZfn
— Amanda Gomba (@the_gombodian) May 14, 2019
Others thought that there was way too much autotune at use.
This is embarrassing. Wow, that autotune. Have they learned nothing from beauty and the beast (2017)?
— YGuy1955T (@YGuy1955T) May 14, 2019
Lmao well it was auto-tuned garbage built on the bones of our childhood memories
— Grip (@Grip87118023) May 14, 2019
Damn they got him on auto-tune? This isn't the right arrangement for Will.
— Arcade Colón (@ArcadeNoise) May 14, 2019
A lot of people seemed to have issues with the speed of the song.
Agreed. While I think the whole things needs to be faster moving/more dynamic, I think the clip cut off just as they started to get going, so...
— Locopells (@Locopells) May 14, 2019
Maybe not the right arrangement of the song for Will? A bit pedestrian? It just sounds a bit like this genie is still in the bottle!
— the real Azor Ahai (@missyjack) May 14, 2019
However, many people leapt in to defend Will Smith, saying he did a good job on the song, arguing he has to carry the film and that he's a treasure.
What's the cool thing that Twitter is hating today?
— Pronounced Tricky (@TrickEBot) May 14, 2019
*plays Prince Ali trailer*
Me: oh, that was pretty cool!
Twitter: pic.twitter.com/DVPfsZ7GPl
I'm here for it
— t. sterling is hosting #indoobPod 💯 Ep LIVE! 5/17 (@indoob) May 14, 2019
I'm not rushing to judgment. I need to see the movie.
— Curtis Wakanda Endgame Grief Counselor (@Currtis25Harr) May 14, 2019
This month also saw Will Smith put his spin on Friend Like Me, while he revealed why he wasn't sure about taking up the role of the Genie at first.
Speaking on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he revealed: "I got presented the idea to play the Genie in Aladdin and the first thing is 'hell no!'
"Robin Williams smashed that role, you know and it's like 'what would you do differently, what would you add?' So I looked at it and the first thing I didn't feel like I wanted to touch it."
He added: "But then I spent some time with it, and then I met with the directors and talked about it."
Smith revealed he was even more convinced to do the role when he played around with his own rap version of Friend Like Me:
