Will Smith’s ‘horrifying’ live-action Genie upsets ‘Aladdin’ fans online

Will Smith promised fans back in December that his version of the Genie in the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin would be blue, just like in the 1992 animated original. But with the debut of film’s trailer on Sunday, it appears the West Philly native’s take, while blue as promised, is a little more nightmarish than nostalgic.

Released during Sunday night’s Grammy Awards ceremony, the trailer shows Smith decked out as the Genie in his blue form for the first time. For some, it was too much, and drew comparisons to other movies and TV shows featuring blue characters, like Avatar, Arrested Development, and The Smurfs.

Others, however, were traumatized by the new Genie, calling the character “horrifying” and a “nightmare.”

While others still just flat didn’t like Smith’s Genie, and wondered if the trailer was little more than viral marketing.

Smith himself, however, appeared to be into his final form in Aladdin. As he wrote in a post on Instagram, “I told y’all I was gon’ be Blue!!”

“Y’all need to trust me more often,” Smith added.

Aladdin is currently scheduled for a May 24 release.