Everyone loves a good fan theory. Okay, not everyone. Me. I love a good fan theory. Picking up on Easter eggs and casual clues to spin into enduring Internet legend is half the fun. Even more so when the creators chime in to confirm or deny!
Such was the case when E! Online sat down with “Aladdin” directors, Ron Clements and John Musker. The classic Disney film is out of the Vault, so now was the time to ask Clements: Was the merchant narrator at the beginning really the Genie?
“I saw something that speculates that the peddler at the beginning of Aladdin is the Genie. That's true! That was the whole intention, originally. We even had that at the end of the movie, where he would reveal himself to be the Genie, and of course Robin did the voice of the peddler. Just through story changes and some editing, we lost the reveal at the end. So, that's an urban legend that actually is true.”
So there, ya negative Nellies. Sometimes a well-thought out fan theory CAN become canonized by the creators. Of course, for every theory that turns out to be true, there are dozens and dozens that are complete fabrications.
Is “Aladdin” set in a post-apocalyptic future? Does the Genie say something dirty to Jasmine? Find out the answer to those questions and more Disney myths over at the E! Online article.