If you’re anything like horror queen Jamie Lee Curtis, nothing quite gets your hair standing on end like the Disney classic Aladdin and, in particular, the evil Jafar. After the Oscar winner announced her fear of the film, and given the current slate of warped horror adaptations of children’s classics, it was only a matter of time until Prince Ali was given the gory treatment. Subtitled The Monkey’s Paw, this horror reimagining of John Musker and Ron Clements‘ Disney classic is yet another in a long line of similar examples, from Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey to Mickey’s Mouse Trap.
Now, via Deadline, the biggest update yet for Aladdin: The Monkey’s Paw has been released, with it announced that production will officially begin across the pond in the UK next month. Led by Empire Studios, Every Entertainment, and 8th Law Pictures, the sinister street rat tale will feature a cast that includes the likes of Nick Sagar (Queen of the South), Ricky Norwood (EastEnders), Montana Manning (Tell Me Everything), and Bradley Stryker (Terrifier 3), with the latter also set to direct based on a Charley McDougall (Moon Quake) screenplay. Producers on the project include McDougall, Jamie McLeod-Ross (The Reckoning), Sagar, and Stryker, with Marching Powder‘s Simon Stolland as Director of Photography.
Speaking on the chance to turn another Disney classic into a violent horror, writer McDougall said, “We always wanted to explore horror through a personal lens — not just the scares, but the human cost of wishes.” He continued, “This story’s been haunting us for a while, and it’s time to let it loose. The best horror films haunt you long after the credits roll. That’s what this story does. It’s sharp, emotional, and full of dread in all the right ways.” He then added, “We’re not just making another horror film — we’re building a world around a truly iconic concept. The paw, the mythology, the characters — it’s all there.”
What is ‘Aladdin: The Monkey’s Paw’ About?
Although the story is one of cinema’s most famous, the upcoming horror twist on Aladdin might make you think twice about what you thought you knew. As horror continues to teach us, expect the unexpected, with plenty of twists and turns lurking in the shadows of the Arabian Nights. “A modern-day Londoner, Aladdin, inherits an ancient monkey’s paw believed to grant wishes, only to discover that every desire comes at a soul-crushing price,” the movie’s synopsis begins, before concluding, “As those around him fall victim to its curse, he must confront a growing evil — and the demonic force that feeds on every wish made.”
Aladdin: The Monkey’s Paw will officially enter production next month.
via Collider