Live-action 'Aladdin' finds their 'Jafar' in Marwan Kenzari: sources

A screenshot from Disney's original 1992 animated classic. (Courtesy of Disney)

Marwan Kenzari, the actor soon set to star in the upcoming film adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express", is now in talks to Disney's live-action "Aladdin" reboot, according to sources.

Kenzari, who also recently appeared in "The Mummy" opposite Tom Cruise, is reportedly in negotiations to play the role of Jafar in the all-star remake - the vizier to the sultan of the city and core villain in Disney's original 1992 animated classic.

He would join Naomi Scott, who will play Jasmine, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, and Will Smith, who will voice Genie, along with Nasim Pedrad has also recently joined the cast as a handmaid and friend to Jasmine. Director Guy Ritchie is attached to helm the project.

The original film, based on Arabic folk tale, centred around the key character of Aladdin - a riffraff street rat who is thrown into a world of trouble after he finds a genie trapped in a lamp and pretends to be a prince in order to win the hand of princess Jasmine.

The film became the highest-grossing film of the year in 1992, and won Oscars for best score and best song for "A Whole New World" (via Variety).