A former Disney exec has revealed the studio might have had plans for another animated Aladdin installment — featuring the late Robin Williams’s voice. In an interview published in last weekend’s Sunday Times of London, an unnamed source said Disney’s vault is so jam-packed with outtakes from Williams’s initial run as Genie in 1991 that a fourth movie could potentially be stitched together sometime down the line. At the moment, however, the actor’s will complicates things: To protect his widow and children from incurring estate penalties as a result of posthumous earnings, according to the New York Post, a clause prevents entertainment entities from using the actor’s name, taped performances, or recordings in exploitative scenarios for the next 24 years.
“When he was on form, the hyperactive motormouth we love from Good Morning Vietnam, Hook, Dead Poets Society, and Mrs. Doubtfire,†the exec told the Times. “Now, because he insisted on a final say on such material, [the jokes] will remain in the vaults.†THR first reported about the clause in March, when Williams’s family members were meeting to settle property disputes. “It’s interesting that Williams restricted use for 25 years,†attorney Laura Zwicker told THR at the time. “I haven’t seen that before. I’ve seen restrictions on the types of uses — no Coke commercials for example — but not like this.â€
The provision, as the trade pointed out, also prohibits people from digitally inserting Williams into a film or recreating his likeness via hologram. Some have speculated this move might have also been taken not only for financial and otherwise private reasons, but also so his image wouldn’t be tarnished in the immediate future. Disney has reportedly scrapped the plans (unrelated to the still-planned live-action prequel), and others will have to follow suit (at least till August 11, 2039).