Aladdin Central Messageboard

[Salukfan]

I've meant to type this up forever...

In ... 2007, I think? I ordered press kits for both ROJ and KOT. The ROJ didn't have much to it, but the KOT one has a lot more about the history of the film. I figured I'd post some of it to read, if you guys are interested! There's some interesting quotes from the writers, director, and actors throughout, and some great sections on the music, animation process, and character development.

Interestingly, or maybe just predictably, there's no mention of the series whatsoever, even in actor bios. For example, it only says that Scott Weinger reprised the role of Aladdin in ROJ... and no implication of any other time than that.

I thought I'd post a section (the longest, actually ) to get started. If you want to read more, let me know, I'm willing to type it up!

... and if this is illegal, someone let me know.

Developing the Characters:

In addition to Robin Williams, the three-time Academy Award nominated headliner of such hits as "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Jumani" and the recent box office smash, "The Birdcage," ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES features a cast of extraordinary voice talents which includes familiar voices from the first two films, as well as two new dramatic artists.

Scott Weinger is once again the street rat-turned-hero, Aladdin, and Linda Larkin portrays his lovely bride-to-be, Jasmine. Their musical numbers are delivered by two remarkable young singers, Brad Kane (singing voice in both "Aladdin" and "The Return of Jafar") and Liz Callaway (singing voice in "The Return of Jafar"). Classically trained veteran actor Val Bettin is Jasmine's proud, but befuddled, papa, the Sultan. Multi-faceted Frank Welker comes up with the unique dialect of Aladdin's patient pal, Abu, the monkey, and zany comic Gilbert Gottfried screams back onto the screen as the squawking, egocentric parrot, Iago.

Joining the cast to create two unforgettable new characters are popular British actor John Rhys-Davies ("Raiders of the Lost Ark") as Aladdin's father, Cassim, the King of Thieves, and TV/film/stage star Jerry Orbach (who brought down the house as Lumiere when he sang "Be Our Guest" in the Walt Disney Animated Masterpiece "Beauty and the Beast") as the unscrupulous Sa'luk.

Cast originals Scott Weinger and Linda Larkin are thrilled about their characters' wedding plans. "They've been dating for a long time!" jokes Weinger, "It's about time Aladdin and Jasmine get married." Larkin reminds us, "Jasmine has been trying to find her true love for two movies now! She and Aladdin are truly in love and now they are really ready to spend the rest of their lives together. I think they'll be very happy!"

Thanks to the intelligent scripting of the stories, both Aladdin and Jasmine have grown and changed since audiences were first introduced to the devil-may-care street rat and the sheltered Princess.

"Aladdin and Jasmine are from completely disparate backgrounds," points out Weinger. "She grew up within the confines of the palace walls, not knowing what life was like outside until she met him on her first adventure in the real world. At the beginning, he was a young, innocent guy, just a common street thief, living day-to-day. When it turns out his father is the King of Thieves, the most notorious villain of all time, it's Aladdin's duty as a citizen, as a son, to reform his father. Aladdin has matured a lot since the first movie."

Jasmine, too, has come a long way toward becoming an adult. Linda Larkin sees her character as "still strong-willed, a ruler, but she's grown out of a lot of teenage things. She's a very loving and tender person, extremely human. When Jasmine learns that Aladdin's father is alive, she is very excited-- she wants him to be a part of their lives. The ultimate choice for this young woman is to marry the man that she loves."

And Jasmine's father, the Sultan, is eager to at last give away his lovely daughter to the young man who has proved worthy of her. According to Val Bettin, who voices the proud papa: "At first, the Sultan was wary of Aladdin's relationship with his daughter. Now he's convinced he has a young man of integrity there and is quite delighted that Aladdin is marrying his precious flower. As the story line has progressed, the Sultan has become more rounded-out, more complete as a human being."

Genie, of course, has been devoted to his young buddy from the memorable moment he was released from his bottle in the original story. "Genie's always there for Aladdin when he's in a bind," says Weinger. "When the situation gets serious, Genie's always trying to lighten things up; he always manages to get in a good joke and brighten things up."

However, Iago, the wise-cracking parrot, is still looking out for number one, still as obsessed with treasure as he ever was. And he doesn't care who helps him get it! "Iago is a fickle character," admits Gilbert Gottfried, the zany stand-up comic who voices the rambunctious bird. "At first, he was a totally evil parrot, the henchman of Jafar." Scott Weinger agrees: "Iago was Aladdin's enemy, who Aladdin wouldn't mind seeing in a sandwich or something! Anyway, you know, people change, parrots change." In "The Return of Jafar," Iago became a reluctant friend of Aladdin, and was torn in his allegiance. At the beginning of this third and final chapter, Iago has, in Weinger's words, "crossed over to the good side. Of course, he's still up to his old tricks. He's always greedy, always trying to get himself out of dangerous situations. If Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie and Iago are in a bind, Iago's getting out, he's saving his own feathers! But he's also very appealing, as a result of the brilliant artistry of Gilbert Gottfried."

Throughout the adventure, Aladdin is accompanied not only by Genie and Iago, but also by faithful Abu, the little monkey who was his only companion during the time the two lived by their wits in the streets of Agrabah.

In ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES, audiences learn an extraordinary secret-- that Aladdin's long-lost father, Cassim, who he believed dead, is in fact living a life of larceny as the King of Thieves, the leader of the 40 Thieves of song and story. Handsome, tall and bearded, with streaks of gray in his shaggy black hair, Cassim wears a sweeping blue cloak, fasted at the shoulder with a gold clasp in the image of the legendary Hand of Midas. It was his compulsive quest for this "ultimate treasure" that separated him from his family in the first place, and which now nearly costs him and his new-found son their lives.

"Cassim is a very contemporary character in one respect," explains John Rhys-Davies, the actor whose mellifluous voice brings Aladdin's father to the screen. "Our society is littered with able and clever men who have pursued their dreams at the expense of their families, and they reach a time when they realize that their family was far more important than any dream they could have had. Cassim is divided still, because he has ambitions which haven't been fulfilled. But the discovery of his son brings ballast to his life, and sets him on a safe and stabilizing course."

The right-hand man to the King of Thieves is Sa'luk, a towering, muscular cutthroat with a bald head, an earring, and two sweeping mustachios. He wields a deadly weapon-- three short, slashing blades he wears on the back of his hand like brass knuckles-- which he uses to wrest control of the band of 40 Thieves from their leader, Cassim. His gravelly, threatening voice is provided by Jerry Orbach, who sees Sa'luk as "the epitome of evil" but admits that "it's fun to play the bad guy!" The popular stage/TV star explains that "you can go over the top [in an animated film]. There's a great deal of freedom. Here, you can go to the extremes of emotion, and madness, and silliness. As actors, we don't often get the chance to be this big and broad and hokey, you know? To do big, nasty laughs, and g-r-r-rowls... you can't do that in the movies. People would think you're nuts!"
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"This cow's been covered with flour!"

[AladdinsGenie]

[Salukfan]

Innocent is, um, subjective?

Yeah, it's on there. It loses something without Jerry's awesome "mwahahha!" face.

I still love the Aladdin/Iago/sandwich bit. Aladdin totally belongs at the Skull and Dagger.
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"This cow's been covered with flour!"

[AladdinsGenie]

Innocent, my camel . He knows he's not innocent or else he wouldn't have made the distinction between making sure he only steals what he needs to survive and not stealing whatever he can. Guilt doesn't make that food easier to steal

I need to watch this again. I haven't seen that featurette since the summer

Gilbert and Scott need to put out a DVD of commentary on Aladdin stuff. They're funny together

[Calluna]

Woot! Thank you for sharing!

I'm not too worried about the legality; it's a press kit, it's supposed to be shared, right?

[AladdinsGenie]

[Salukfan]

[Calluna]

Ah, I see. I'll have to transcribe it someday, or figure out how to get video from a tape onto my computer.
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"If only I could believe you. Perhaps I can! After all... you do bear the name of a flower." -- Arbutus

[Salukfan]

I'm going to go ahead and type up some more of the press kit.

Dan Castellaneta gets one mention in the entire kit. He's mentioned in the cover letter and just that he voiced Genie in ROJ. I'm not going to bother typing that, since it just summarizes other stuff in the kit and gives some contact numbers. I'll also mention that Sa'luk is the wrong race here, again. I wish someone could have sent out that memo.

Here's the included press release. I'll use some magical font tricks to emulate the style of the release as best as I can. Oh, and there will be a pretty big typo in this-- it's theirs, not mine. I would correct it, but it makes me laugh.

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He's Big, He's Blue and He's Back in the Action-Packed Conclusion To The "Aladdin" Trilogy Only on Video...

Aladdin and the King of Thieves
Starring Robin Williams

BURBANK, CA (July 10, 1996) -- He's back! Robin Williams once again brings to life the "big blue guy" as he joins Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu and Iago in Walt Disney Home Video's brand new movie, ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES. Premiering only on video August 13, 1996, it is the third and final chapter of the trilogy that began with the 1992 $500 million worldwide box-office smash ALADDIN. In this movie, Aladdin and Jasmine are finally getting married, but before they take their vows, Aladdin embarks on a thrilling quest to find his long-lost father. A magical and musical adventure, ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES showcases five, all-new show-stopping songs, two sung by Robin Williams. ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES is collectibly priced at $24.99.

Over two years in the making, ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES was crafted by a team of more than 400 artists from around the world. The movie re-unites Williams with ALADDIN's original, celebrated cast, including Scott Weinger (Aladdin), Linda Larkin (Princess Jasmine), and Gilbert Gottfried (Iago). All-new characters joining the original cast are the renowned Tony Award-winning Broadway, film and TV star, Jerry Orbach (voice of Lumiere in the Walt Disney Classic, "Beauty and the Beast") as the villainous Sa'luk, and John Rhys-Davies (TV's "Slider," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark") as the King of Thieves, Cassim.

In ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES, Williams performs the uproarious numbers, "There's A Party Here In Agrabah," crooned in Genie's inimitable style, and "Father and Son," a touching yet comical song in which he is joined by Aladdin and Cassim. Other toe-tapping tunes include: "Welcome to the Forty Thieves," a musical romp with the infamous thieves, "Are You In or Out," a song of comic villainy performed by Jerry Orbach as Sa'luk, and "Out of Thin Air," a charming love ballad between Aladdin and Jasmine. A special reprise of "Arabian Knights," written by the Academy-Award-winning team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken is also featured.

In ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES, Aladdin and Jasmine's wedding celebration is being coordinated by none other than the "big blue guy" himself, Genie. Agrabah is bustling with excitement as the city prepares for the "party of the millennium." Just as the happy couple prepare to say "I do," the ceremony is disrupted by the legendary Forty Thieves who wreak havoc on the city and ransack the royal palace in search of the fabled Hand of Midas. Although the attack is thwarted, Aladdin learns that his long-lost father, Cassim, may actually be trapped in the thieves' hidden lair. With Jasmine, Genie, Abu, the magic carpet and even Iago by his side, Aladdin sets out on a fantastic quest to confront the Forty Thieves' villainous Sa'luk and find his father.

ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES has a running time of approximately 82 minutes. The feature is presented in Digitally-Mastered Hi-Fi Stereo Surround and is closed-captioned for the hearing impared. Walt Disney Home Video is distributed by Buena Vista Home Video, Inc., the recognized industry leader for eight consecutive years. A subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, Buena Vista Home Video inc., is the marketing, sales and distribution company for all Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Jim Henson, DIC Toon-Time and Buena Vista videocassettes.

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"This cow's been covered with flour!"

[Calluna]

[AladdinsGenie]

Could they beat Robin over my head ANY more?

[Salukfan]

That definitely sounds like it could be from a kit. It would help explain a lot of the mistakes, too-- the kit would have been released before all the details were finalized and the episodes were ready for air.

And "rugs-to-riches, hall-to-hall Carpet" sound lame enough to come from a press kit.
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"This cow's been covered with flour!"

[Salukfan]

[Salukfan]

(Spamming! )

Here's another section. There's only three sections left, with the exception of a reproduction of the film's credits and biographies of the principal actors (with the exceptions of CCH Pounder and Jim Cummings). The Oracle gets brief mention in this section; Rasoul goes entirely unmentioned. Unfortunate, considering his role is pretty vital to the plot of the film.

There's some good quotes in the actor bio section-- I'll go ahead and post those later on. I can do the full bios, too, but they really aren't any more interesting than what you can already find online.

For what it's worth, this is the order in which the characters/actors are repeatedly mentioned and how they seem to be ranked in "importance:" Genie, Aladdin, Jasmine, Iago, Cassim, Sa'luk, Sultan, Abu.

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THE STORY

Everyone's wish is coming true! Aladdin's madcap Genie, first brought to life by the comic genius of the world's number-one box office star, Robin Williams, works his wizardry once again in Disney's spectacular action-adventure, ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES. The grand finale of the beloved "Aladdin" trilogy ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES, premieres exclusively on home videos.

A rousing opening song-and-dance kicks off the "Party in Agrabah," and invites you to join the festivities surrounding the marriage of the millennium! The long-awaited wedding of Aladdin and Jasmine is being coordinated by the Big Blue Guy himself. Preparations are made in Genie's own inimitable fashion as he hosts a laughter-filled, celebrity take-off called "Lifestyles of the Rich and Magical." Before the young couple can say "I do," pandemonium disrupts the ceremony in the form of a deafening stampede of raging elephants, which is actually a diversion for a raid by none other than the legendary 40 Thieves!

Under the cover of chaos, their notorious King and his treacherous second-in-command, Sa'luk, ransack the royal wedding gifts in their single-minded quest for a magical gilded scepter. Its powers will lead them to the fabled Hand of Midas-- the ultimate treasure that turns everything it touches to solid gold. Thanks to the marvelous machinations of Genie, the attack is thwarted, but the King of Thieves and his men escape back to their hidden lair.

When the dust settles, the glowing scepter transforms into a wondrous Oracle who reveals an incredible secret to Aladdin-- he is not the lonely orphan he believes himself to be. His long-lost father, Cassim, is alive, "trapped within the world of the 40 Thieves." Princess Jasmine encourages her finace to uncover the mystery of his past, and it's "open sesame!" as Aladdin sets out on his most musical, most romantic, most fantastic adventure yet. Aided by friends-- Genie; Abu, the faithful monkey; the fabulous flying carpet; and even the opportunistic parrot, Iago -- Aladdin and Jasmine eventually discover the enchanted Vanishing Isle rising from the depths of the ocean on the back of a gigantic tortoise.

A climatic battle is waged, and Cassim is rescued. Sa'luk, who betrayed his commander in order to become a new leader of the Thieves, gets more than he bargained for when his selfish desire for the priceless Hand of Midas is fulfilled.

Back home, the true "ultimate treasures" are loyalty, love and family, and as Jasmine and Aladdin finally exchange vows, Genie conjures up the ultimate "Agra-bash!"
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"This cow's been covered with flour!"

[AladdinsGenie]