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No offense to the beautiful Jasmine or majestic Aladdin, but we all know Robin William’s Genie was the main star in the 1992 Disney box office hit.
The famed children’s animation, Aladdin, was an immediate hit, earning a mega $644 million. It’s remained a favorite ever since.
It was by no means Robin William’s first Disney stint, though. In fact, the zany and beloved actor had a long, fruitful history with the film studio.
Robin Williams and Disney – An Overview
1982 saw Walt Disney and Paramount Pictures team up to produce the classic, Popeye. Although Robin Williams did make an appearance in the 1977 comedy called Can I Do It… Til I Need Glasses?, Popeye was actually his very first starring role in a movie and his first Disney film. While the movie actually didn’t fare that great at the box office, it was the beginning of a special and somewhat tumultuous relationship between Disney and Williams.
In 1987, Williams went on to star in Good Morning Vietnam, the tale of a military DJ, Adrian Cronauer. The part-comedy featured even more comedy gold from Robin Williams as the DJ and was also part-drama as it carefully depicted the horrors of the Vietnam War. This movie took off big time. No one will ever forget the scenes for Cronauer’s Armed Forces Radio Service as Williams shouted out, “good morning Vietnam!”
By 1992, Robin Williams was a big name and just as Mork from Ork was his original breakthrough acting role, Aladin provided Williams with another way to showcase his exceptional mind. The voice of Genie is said to have been written with Williams in mind, using one of his comedy routines for inspiration. The character quickly won Williams over and his improv skills found a brand-new, animated life. In fact, as Genie, Williams spoofed a number of celebrities, including Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, and Jerry Lewis. In 1996, Robin reprised his role for the sequel, Aladdin and the King of Thieves.
In 1997, Disney remade The Absent Minded Professor with Williams as the store. Flubber came out in 1997, and in 1999, Williams perfectly executed his character in the movie, Bicentennial Man.
Finally, Robin Williams, or his voice, starred in a film called The Timekeeper which debuted in different Disneylands around the world.
Aladdin and Robin’s Disney History
It’s Aladdin that stands out for Robin, Disney, and us. That’s because William’s voice and performance are so iconic it just can’t be duplicated or replaced. In fact, there is said to be a clause in Robin William’s will that says Disney can’t even try, rendering a treasure trove of outtakes off-limits for future use.
In fact, reports say that there’s enough excess material from the 1991 recording sessions to constitute the fourth performance as Genie in the new film. Sadly, for those in charge, William’s estate prohibits such activity for at least 25 years after his passing.
The reason? Any future sequels would generate financial penalties for his family and posthumous earnings are typically subject to an array of technicalities.
But this isn’t the only time Williams and Disney butted heads over Genie. In fact, when Robin worked on the original film, he had one big stipulation to ensure he would participate: his work could not be used to sell any type of merch or tie-in products like adverts. Disney agreed only to betray Williams and do exactly what he’d asked them not to, and that left a bitter taste in his mouth.
As a way of making things good, it’s said Disney sent Williams a Picasso peace offering and it clearly worked as Williams returned for the sequel.
Where to from Here?
Despite the series closing off with the final film, William’s clause in his will makes us wonder if this is why the studio moved forward with re-imagining the series, Genie?
Now, there’s a fresh take on the character, and we can only guess that Disney’s endgame is to introduce a new generation to the hilarious blue character.
The relationship between Robin Williams and Walt Disney wasn’t always smooth sailing, but let’s not let that overshadow the incredible and highly entertaining talents Robin Williams brought to so many beautifully executed Disney productions.
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