With the massive box office success of the recent Disney remakes, audiences are expecting more within the next few years. One thing that is often discussed when it comes to the live action remakes from the studios is whether or not sequels should be made to continue their stories. Many will argue that the classic Disney animated films should not be remade due to how timeless they are. Yet some would say the direct-to-video sequels from the late 90s and early 2000s have a lot of potential for improvement. One that has been up for discussion is the 1994 direct-to-video sequel to Aladdin, Return of Jafar.
Considering the massive success of the recent live action Aladdin remake with its $1 Billion dollars worldwide earnings, a continuation would seem like a smart decision. Nothing is official as of yet but producer of the film, Dan Lin, stated that there is a possibility. Lin added, “We’re really looking at what’s been done before in the past and the home video, and there’s just more story to tell with the underlying materials.” In other words, they might not necessarily make a full fledged remake of Return of Jafar, but they could still expand upon the first live action version of Aladdin.
With the cast, crew and fans of the 2019 remake expressing interest for a sequel, it is certainly possibly for an Aladdin 2 to become official. It may just be a matter of how financially successful the sequels to the live action Disney remakes typically are. Alice Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to the 2010 remake of Alice in Wonderland was a huge under-performer for Disney. The live action remake sequel made about $299 million worldwide, making not even half of the first film’s $1 billion dollar box office gross. Things might change around however, if the second upcoming sequel to a Disney live action remake, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil becomes a box office success. An Aladdin sequel might not come anytime soon, but will be more likely if the next Disney sequels box office are proven to be profitable.