One of the most popular urban legends surrounding Disney’s Aladdin has finally been revealed as true, two decades after fans began speculating.
Ron Clements and John Musker, co-directors of Aladdin, spoke with E! News and they confirmed what some fans have long thought about the peddler in the beginning of the film. “I saw something that speculates that the peddler at the beginning of Aladdin is the Genie,” Clements said. “That’s true!”
“That was the whole intention, originally,' he added. 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.”
This particular theory gained attraction for two reasons: one, Clements already said, was because Williams voiced both roles, and the other was that the peddler and the Genie each had four fingers.
The man who played the beloved Genie, Robin Williams, passed away in 2014. However, his legacy lives on. Never-before-seen clips of Robin filming his voiceovers for the role were recently released in honor of the film’s 23rd anniversary.
“I think Robin as a person, he wanted to make people laugh. It was like a Genie, like a wish-granter: I know that people enjoy humor, so I’m going to give them the gift of my comedy. So I feel like, yeah, he really was the Genie,” John continued.
The 1992 film was originally set in Baghdad, but prior to release the “Gulf War happened” said Musker. “So, I took letters and did a jumbled anagram and came up with Agrabah.”
Aladdin remains one of Disney’s most successful animations, spawning two spin-off films, a Broadway adaptation and a host of toys, video games and official merchandise.
Watch the clip of the Peddler from Aladdin below.
