19 movies we’re definitely looking forward to in 2019

8. Aladdin

Disney’s new wave of live-action remakes of animated classics is still on the rise, with the timeless classics The Lion King, Aladdin, and Dumbo all hitting the big screens in 2019. But honestly, Aladdin holds a lot more promise than its animal-themed siblings; as many people have pointed out, the heavily CGI-reliant Lion King seems to have lost all the artistic animated charm that made the original such a joy to look upon, and exchanged it for… well. The benefit of the live action remake remains to be seen. Dumbo could end up in similar straits with its heavy use of CGI.

But as for Aladdin, seeing how Disney plans to update its older concept will be interesting. It has already announced that two entirely new songs will be in the 2019 version

Like many Disney movies, the original Aladdin has its flaws. Originally released in 1993, the first version of “Arabian Nights” was so racist Disney literally changed it—and many rightfully said even the changes were not enough. It played on many harmful stereotypes that are still doing harm 25 years later. It will be interesting to see whether Disney decides to change any parts of the story as well as adding to it, or whether it will play it safe and not tamper with anything that might upset the die-hard fans which it no doubt wishes to appeal to. Disney has already made some potential missteps in its casting, facing controversy over its inclusion of Billy Magnussen and Naomi Scott.

The standard for Disney’s Aladdin remake will certainly be high, as it should be. With any luck this new adaptation will address and repair the issues from the original while also contributing something new to the story. And hey, if it’s awful, Disney fans will still have The Lion King and Dumbo. Computer-generated animals aside, both movies could also be totally awesome.