Aladdin star Naomi Scott has opened up about the differences between tackling a new song and classics like 'A Whole New World' on the live-action remake.
Guy Ritchie's new take on the Disney animation sees Princess Jasmine (Scott) get her own solo number in the form of 'Speechless', written by Disney legend Alan Menken and The Greatest Showman's Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
But it seems tackling Aladdin's standout classic wasn't as daunting as bringing a new song into Aladdin canon.
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"I think 'A Whole New World', there's a whimsical feeling and a joyful feeling to it that I think as long as you… it's almost like just enjoying it and going for the ride and you have to just enjoy it. I didn't actually feel as much pressure on that one, funnily enough," Scott told Digital Spy.
"I think that for 'Speechless', I did feel the weight of the message of the song. I think the message is so powerful, the idea that she's not going to go speechless and you do have a voice and you should speak up against injustice.
"Everyone can relate to the idea of being shut down. Did I feel the pressure? I think because it was new, you feel a bit of freedom to really make it your own, there's not someone that's gone before you. Ultimately, I was just really excited to make it feel raw. She's angry in that moment."
While 'Speechless' is new for the remake and adds a different dimension to Princess Jasmine, Scott still wanted to keep what made the character one of her favourite Disney Princesses.
"I think that you always want to get that balance right of honouring what went before, but also keeping it fresh and new. Also, I think it's been 27 years since the original and things have changed and progressed," she explained.
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"What I did want to keep is how Princess Jasmine made me feel at eight years old. I wanted to keep that feeling. She was one of my favourite Princesses growing up, genuinely, because I saw myself in her and I could relate to her, she just made me feel empowered. I wanted to keep that feeling, but also make her even more ambitious."
Scott has previously spoken about one of the other major new elements in the remake in the form of Jasmine's handmaiden Dalia.
Aladdin is out in UK cinemas on May 22 and US cinemas on May 24.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
