Will Smith (54) seems to be working on his big stage comeback in Hollywood. Rumor has it that Walt Disney Pictures wants to sign the disgraced star for "Aladdin 2". "The US Sun" claims to have learned this from an unnamed insider. It would be one of his first film projects since he slapped Chris Rock (57) in the face, which made him persona non grata in the film business.

According to the report, Will Smith will again embody the genie in "Aladdin 2". The Genie is said to play an even bigger role this time than in the 2019 predecessor. The script for the sequel to the live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated film is said to be in the making. Filming is scheduled to begin at the end of the year.

According to the insider, Disney speculates that the Oscar freak out in the collective memory will expire. "He's been working on himself a lot," the source says of Smith. "There is a consensus that this will all be a thing of the past by the time the film hits theaters."

"The first film was a huge hit so it would be foolish not to do a second one and it would be a real shame to recast Will because of what happened," it continues. "So Disney is very keen to support him and get him back on the team."

The remake "Aladdin" grossed over one billion US dollars worldwide and is the 41st highest-grossing film of all time worldwide.

We remember: In March 2022, during the Oscars, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in the face. The comedian had made a joke about Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith (51) being bald. The actress shaved her hair because she is suffering from hair loss.

The actor resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after the scandal. The Academy had also banned Smith from the awards ceremony and other events for the next ten years.

Planned projects like the fourth part of the "Bad Boys" series have been on hold since then. Smith's last film "Emancipation" was released on Apple TV on December 9th. He had turned off the slave drama before the Oscar scandal.