Disney’s Aladdin soars to the top on UK box office

Disney’s Aladdin took cinemagoers on an exhilarating magic carpet ride to rocket to the top of the UK and Irish Box Office.

The live action adventure starring Will Smith, Naomi Scott and Mena Massoud beat Paramount’s Rocketman and Universal Pictures’ The Secret Life of Pets 2 to take the UK box office crown with a weekend total of £5.73m. The film also opened at number one in the US box office. Director Guy Ritchie’s biggest ever UK and US opening weekends.

A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, Aladdin is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, Aladdin is written by John August (Dark Shadows, Big Fish) and Ritchie based on Disney’s Aladdin. The film stars Will Smith (Ali, Men in Black) as the larger-than-life Genie; Mena Massoud (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) as the charming scoundrel Aladdin; Naomi Scott (Power Rangers) as Jasmine, the beautiful, self-determined princess; Marwan Kenzari (Murder on the Orient Express) as Jafar, the powerful sorcerer; Navid Negahban (Legion) as the Sultan concerned with his daughter’s future; Nasim Pedrad (Saturday Night Live) as Dalia, Princess Jasmine’s free-spirited best friend and confidante; Billy Magnussen (Into the Woods) as the handsome and arrogant suitor Prince Anders; and Numan Acar (The Great Wall) as Hakim, Jafar’s right-hand man and captain of the palace guards.