Those hoping to see Aladdin back on his magic carpet anytime soon might want to grab that famous magic lamp and start wishing.
Supposedly, Williams recorded enough material for the Disney classic "Aladdin" to be repurposed for a potential fourth installment in the series, but a former Disney executive told The Times of London that the actor's will prevents the company from using his likeness in future films.
According to the late actor's trust, Williams' voice, performance recordings and name will be under lock and key until 25 years after the actors death. That means that there will be a dearth of Robin Williams material until, at least, August 2039.
“When he was on form, the hyperactive motormouth we love from ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ and ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ was making 30 jokes a minute,” said the Disney executive. “Now, because he insisted on a final say on such material, [the jokes] will remain in the vaults.”
Estate and tax attorney Laura Zwicker told the Hollywood Reporter, "It's interesting that Williams restricted use for 25 years. I haven't seen that before. I've seen restrictions on the types of uses -- no Coke commercials, for example -- but not like this. It could be a privacy issue."
Williams and Disney have had a troubled history since "Aladdin" was released in 1992. The "Good Will Hunting" actor dropped out of the sequel "The Return of Jafar" because of a marketing/salary conflict and replaced by Dan Castellaneta.
However, in October, Disney announced they would include never-before-seen outtakes and recordings of Williams' voicing the Genie for the "Aladdin" Diamond Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack.
It's unclear how Disney was able to include this footage in the release, but we'll cherish it forever.
Disney did not respond to request for comment.
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