Ask anyone about the golden age of hand-drawn animation, and they’ll start humming "A Whole New World" within seconds. It’s unavoidable. But if you're trying to pin down exactly when was the movie Aladdin released, the answer depends entirely on which version of Agrabah you’re looking for.
Honestly, it’s kinda wild how many times Disney has gone back to this well. Most people are thinking of the 1992 masterpiece that turned Robin Williams into a blue legend. Others are looking for the massive live-action remake that dominated the box office a few years back.
The Original 1992 Animated Classic
The original Aladdin made its big theatrical debut in the United States on November 25, 1992.
It wasn't just another cartoon. It was a cultural earthquake. Before the wide release, there were limited premieres in Los Angeles and New York on November 11, 1992, just to build the hype. And boy, did it work.
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Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker—the same duo that gave us The Little Mermaid—this film basically saved the studio's momentum. It arrived right in the middle of the "Disney Renaissance." People forget that the production was a bit of a mess early on. They had to scrap huge chunks of the story halfway through, a day famously known at the studio as "Black Friday."
They cut Aladdin’s mother from the script and changed him from a young boy to a more "Tom Cruise-esque" teenager. Risk? Huge. Payoff? Even bigger. It became the highest-grossing film of 1992, pulling in over $504 million worldwide.
When Was the Movie Aladdin Released in Live-Action?
Fast forward nearly three decades. Disney decided it was time for a "shining, shimmering, splendid" upgrade. The live-action Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie (yeah, the Sherlock Holmes guy), was released on May 24, 2019.
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There was a lot of skepticism leading up to this one. Will Smith as the Genie? People on the internet were... let's say "vocal" about the early CGI photos. But when the movie actually hit theaters, it defied the critics. It grossed over $1 billion.
It turns out people really wanted to see Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott fly through a CGI sky. The 2019 version added some new flavor, like Jasmine’s power anthem "Speechless," which gave the story a bit more modern weight than the '92 original.
The Full Timeline of Aladdin Releases
If you’re a completionist, the story doesn't stop at the two big theatrical films. Disney milked the "diamond in the rough" for everything it was worth in the 90s.
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- The Return of Jafar (May 20, 1994): This was a big deal because it was Disney’s first direct-to-video sequel. It looked a bit "cheaper" because it was produced by the television animation department, but it sold millions of VHS tapes.
- Aladdin: The Animated Series (September 5, 1994): This show ran for 86 episodes. It’s where many 90s kids actually spent the most time in Agrabah.
- Aladdin and the King of Thieves (August 13, 1996): The final part of the animated trilogy. The big news here was that Robin Williams actually came back to voice the Genie after a public feud with Disney over marketing.
Why the 1992 Date Still Matters
It’s hard to overstate how much the November 1992 release changed movies. Before Aladdin, celebrity voice acting wasn't really a "thing" in the way it is now. Robin Williams’ performance was so iconic that it changed the blueprint for every animated movie that followed—from Shrek to Toy Story.
He ad-libbed so much material that the film was actually rejected for a "Best Adapted Screenplay" Oscar nomination because the script didn't match the finished movie.
How to Watch Aladdin Today
If you’re looking to revisit these dates through a screen, Disney+ is basically your one-stop shop. They have the 1992 original, the 2019 remake, and even the weirdly addictive sequels.
If you're a physical media collector, the "Signature Collection" Blu-ray of the 1992 film is the gold standard, mostly for the behind-the-scenes footage of Williams in the recording booth.
Next Steps for Your Rewatch:
- Check out the "Diamond Edition" or "Signature Collection" for the original 1992 film to see the deleted song "Proud of Your Boy."
- Watch the 2019 version side-by-side with the original to see how Guy Ritchie handled the "Prince Ali" parade—it's a massive technical feat.
- If you've never seen it, find the Broadway musical cast recording; it’s a totally different beast that bridges the gap between the two movie eras.