It's not exactly had the smoothest of magic carpet rides, but Guy Richie's live-action remake of Aladdin has now officially wrapped filming.

The updated version of the Disney classic is expected to fly into cinemas next year, and its lead star Mena Massoud was the one to confirm that its genie is now out of the bottle, so to speak.

"That's a wrap on #Aladdin!" he told fans on Twitter. "It's been an incredible journey and I can't wait for you to see it summer 2019!"

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. That's a wrap on #Aladdin! It's been an incredible journey and I can't wait for you to see it summer 2019! pic.twitter.com/b7Vynsdnow — Mena Massoud (@MenaMassoud) January 24, 2018

Although we can't wait to see Guy Richie's take on Agrabah, it's fair to say that the reboot has generated some controversy along the way.

Keen not to vindicate some fans' whitewashing concerns, Aladdin took a while to cast its leading stars – and while this was mostly a success, the film has received criticism for casting a non-Arab actress (Naomi Scott) as Princess Jasmine, as well as the addition of an extraneous white prince.

Disney

Related: Disney's Aladdin live-action movie cast picture shared by Will Smith as it starts filming

Not only that, but it was reported earlier this month that Disney had darkened the skin of some of its white extras in the movie, rather than, y'know, casting people of the right ethnicity.

Disney responded by saying that "more than 400 of the 500 background performers were Indian, Middle Eastern, African, Mediterranean and Asian".

The studio added: "Diversity of our cast and background performers was a requirement, and only in a handful of instances when it was a matter of specialty skills, safety, and control (special effects rigs, stunt performers, and handling of animals) were crew made up to blend in."

Of course, not everyone is sceptical of the film's intentions. Navid Negahban, who will play the Sultan in the remake, has reassured fans that Aladdin is a "beautiful garden".

Joe Scarnici Getty Images

Insisting Disney's decisions were "not whitewashing", Navid argued: "The thing is that the garden should be filled with flowers of different kinds. If not, the garden is going to be very boring.

"So you're gonna go and see this beautiful garden with colourful flowers, and I just hope that you enjoy the journey. Just go enjoy the journey, because you will definitely love the film."

We're going to be living in 'A Whole New World' of disappointment if you're wrong, Navid.

Aladdin is expected to hit cinemas on May 24, 2019.

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