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First look! Will Smith makes his debut as 'Aladdin' Genie

"Aladdin" fans now have their first look at Disney's forthcoming live-action adaptation of the beloved animated film – and the internet is particularly fixated on how Will Smith looks as the Genie.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Actor Will Smith attends the Warner Bros. Pictures' 'Focus' premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on Feb. 24, 2015 in Hollywood, California.

"Aladdin" fans now have their first look at Disney's forthcoming live-action adaptation of the beloved animated film – and the internet is particularly fixated on how Will Smith looks as the Genie. And not in a good way.

The backlash followed Wednesday's unveiling of the first photo of Smith in character by Entertainment Weekly alongside Canadian actor Mena Massoud as Aladdin and British actress Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine.

Twitter users seemed to want to stuff Smith's high-ponytail-and-beard combination back into the lamp and ask for a do-over on their wish for a live adaptation of the 1992 animated classic.

"What could Will Smith possibly have done to deserve this?" Buzzfeed host Saeed Jones tweeted. "Jada is gonna have to do a whole episode of 'Red Table Talk' about this hair piece."

"After seeing Will Smith as the genie, 'Aladdin' is canceled. We're skipping to 'Lion King,' " another Twitter user wrote, naming another Disney live-action movie in the works. 

Many Twitter comments compared Smith's transformation to '90s favorite Sinbad.

"Will Smith gotta remake 'Jingle All The Way' with John Cena if he's going full Sinbad," one comment read

"This looks…Awful. Is it just me, or does it look like Will Smith looks like Sinbad from the 90s, but he went on a diet? Gurl," someone else tweeted about the photos.

Others let gifs convey their lack of enthusiasm.

The new "Aladdin" film, directed by Guy Ritchie, premieres May 24, 2019.

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