This is definitely the age of new adaptations — and we’ve got another one on the horizon. A new version of the Middle Eastern folktale Aladdin, titled Aladdin: The Monkey’s Paw will begin production next month. But let’s just say it’s not exactly the 1992 Disney-fied version of Aladdin we know and love.
This new live-action adaptation is being touted as a “dark, supernatural reimagining” of the original legend and is set to star Nick Sagar, Ricky Norwood, Montana Manning, and Bradley Stryker. Stryker will also produce and direct from a script by Charley McDougall. Production will take place in the UK, where the film is set.
Deadline revealed the film’s synopsis, which reads, “A modern-day Londoner, Aladdin, inherits an ancient monkey’s paw believed to grant wishes, only to discover that every desire comes at a soul-crushing price. As those around him fall victim to its curse, he must confront a growing evil — and the demonic force that feeds on every wish made.”
This particular story, and how it could be connected to horror, appears to be personal to the film’s team. “We always wanted to explore horror through a personal lens — not just the scares, but the human cost of wishes,” the film’s writer explained in a statement to the outlet. “This story’s been haunting us for a while, and it’s time to let it loose. The best horror films haunt you long after the credits roll. That’s what this story does. It’s sharp, emotional, and full of dread in all the right ways. We’re not just making another horror film — we’re building a world around a truly iconic concept. The paw, the mythology, the characters — it’s all there.”
Disney’s 1992 hit animated adaptation is perhaps the most well-known and beloved of all movie adaptations of the folktale, but the story has been translated to film many times over the years, both in animated and live-action forms, as well as in English and other languages. The 2019 live-action remake of Disney’s original — starring Smile 2’s Naomi Scott, if you didn’t already know — is the most recent attempt to bring the legend into modern times.
No release date for this horror twist on a classic, but we're too curious not to be there when it drops.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
