Here’s Why ‘Aladdin’ Caused Problems Between Robin Williams and Disney

Disney is an absolute powerhouse in the entertainment industry that has been churning out massive hits since the 30s. Because of their prestige and the potential that comes with working for them, many stars have taken part in a Disney project at some point. Stars like Taylor Swift, Dwayne Johnson, and Miley Cyrus have all given their services to the House of Mouse.

During the 90s, Robin Williams was one of the biggest figures in entertainment, and he wound up giving an iconic performance as the character Genie in Aladdin. Turns out, things weren’t so smooth between Williams and Disney, and this led to a publicized issue between the two sides.

Let’s take a look at what happened between Robin Williams and Disney.

It All Came Down To Marketing

Robin Williams and Disney seemed like a match made in heaven during the 90s. After all, Williams was a lovable performer who could elevate any project and Disney was in the midst of the Disney Renaissance, which saw them churning out some of the greatest animated movies in history.

Williams was cast as the Genie in Aladdin, and he did things with the character that other people simply couldn’t. However, this is where the problems between the two sides actually began. Genie was a secondary character in the film, and Williams had no interest in Disney using his voice as a marketing ploy to generate hype for the film and to sell products.

Now, some people will point to the fact that using Williams’ iconic performance to sell tickets and toys was smart by Disney, but at the same time, an agreement was reached to not do this, as Williams was adamant that he did not want to sell anything.

Williams would tell NBC, “We had a deal. The one thing I said was I will do the voice. I’m doing it basically because I want to be part of this animation tradition. I want something for my children. One deal is, I just don’t want to sell anything–as in Burger King, as in toys, as in stuff.”

He would continue, saying, “Then all of a sudden, they release an advertisement–one part was the movie, the second part was where they used the movie to sell stuff. Not only did they use my voice, they took a character I did and overdubbed it to sell stuff. That was the one thing I said: ‘I don’t do that.’ That was the one thing where they crossed the line.”

Robin Openly Criticized Disney

Despite the agreement, Disney went against his wishes and used his voice in a way that he was not comfortable with. Because of this, Williams was more than happy to let his voice be heard on his displeasure with the House of Mouse.

When speaking on The Today Show, Williams would say, “You realize now when you work for Disney why the mouse has only four fingers–because he can’t pick up a check.”

Disney, however, would fire back, saying, “Every single piece of marketing material involving Robin Williams was run by Marsha (the actor’s wife) and Robin Williams. We did not use his voice in any way that he did not contractually agree to. He agreed to the deal, and then when the movie turned out to be a big hit, he didn’t like the deal he had made.”

Clearly, things were rough between Williams and Disney, and he would not turn up for the film’s sequel. However, as we have seen before, time tends to heal all wounds, and Williams would return to Disney for more work down the line.

Things Would Take A While To Smooth Over

Even though Williams missed out on the first Aladdin sequel, he did take part in the third movie, according to IMDb. Fans were so happy to hear him voicing the Genie once more, and it truly elevated the film.

Williams would work on other Disney projects, as well. He starred in the films Flubber and Old Dogs over the years, though the vast majority of his work was done with other studios. It’s never easy to put differences aside, especially in the movie business, but Disney and Williams eventually worked things out.

Williams has since passed, but his legacy continues to live on. He has plenty of amazing movies and performances, but few come close to rivaling what he was able to accomplish in the role of the Genie.

As iconic as the Genie performance was for Williams, clearly, the issues that he had with Disney tarnished his experience making movie magic.