Guy Ritchie‘s filmography is splattered with heavy amounts of witty dialogue and gritty action sequences. While it may not necessarily lend itself well to a Disney family-friendly film, his filmmaking style works in Aladdin. Based on the 1992 animated film of the same name, the upcoming live-action version is part of a successful trend that has Disney going through their vault to see which one of the animated classics they could reimagine into a live-action film next.

There’s action, suspense, and a bit of romance. But there is also humor, singing, and dancing. All of these are key aspects the animated original had. So to say that director Ritchie and the cast had a huge responsibility to do the film justice would be a vast understatement. And yet, they pulled it off.

Geeks Of Doom attended the Aladdin global press conference with their fellow journalists to talk to Ritchie about the production, how he stayed true to the spirit of the animated original, his style of filmmaking, the positive vibes that helped set up the camaraderie and set the tone, and more. Check out what he had to say here below.

Based on the 1992 animated classic of the same name, Aladdin was one of Disney’s first animated features to have characters of color. Representation is important in this day and age because it allows people of color and the marginalized to see themselves in the characters seen on screen. So it was significantly important to reflect that in the casting of the live-action adaptation of Aladdin. Though there were reports of some casting issues, director Guy Ritchie and the rest of the Disney team were dedicated to finding the right actors for the film. And they found them in Mena Massoud, who plays the title character, and Naomi Scott, who plays Princess Jasmine.

Geeks of Doom and a group of journalists were invited to attend the global press conference in Los Angeles, CA, where Massoud and Scott talked about what it was like to be a part of the production, working with Ritchie, and how they all infused some of their own personalities and quirks into the characters while also respecting the animated original. Check out what they had to say below.

Disney’s live-action take on Aladdin will see Will Smith bring the high-spirited and energetic Genie to life. With his own brand of charisma and a bit of hip-hop flair, this Genie is not like the Robin Williams take in the animated original, but the performance still pays homage to the late comedian. In fact, the actor says the remake is the highlight of his career. And you can see how much fun he is having in that performance.

Geeks of Doom and a group of journalists were invited to sit down at the Aladdin global press conference where Smith spoke about believing in that Disney magic, how he made some of those memorable songs his own, finding a career resurgence, and what representation means to him. Check out what he had to see below.

This week on May 9th, Jenn Wexler’s indie punk horror film The Ranger premieres on AMC’s horror streaming service Shudder. The film debuted last summer and ran through the festival circuit. Wexler, who cut her teeth producing at Glass Eye Pix, co-wrote the script with Giaco Furino and the film feels like Wolf Creek by way of Return of the Living Dead. A film called The Ranger is only as strong as its titular villain and that role went to veteran actor Jeremy Holm (House of Cards, Mr. Robot). I got a chance to speak with him as the film prepares to make its streaming debut.

Earlier this month, I got the very rare opportunity to join a select group of journalists to travel to Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, CA, where we got a sneak preview of Toy Story 4. The fourth installment of the Toy Story franchise sees Woody and Buzz go in a new direction by tapping into new themes that were never explored in any of the previous films. This is what helps keep the franchise fresh and new.

I’ve already shown you how technology has changed since the first Toy Story came out, but now it is time to hear from a roundtable interview we had with director Josh Cooley and producer Mark Nielsen about the upcoming film, the daunting task of revisiting a beloved franchise after the third is considered perfect, bringing Bo Peep back, and more. Check out what they had to say below.