Wishes gone wrong: Aladdin's sinister transformation in 'The Monkey’s Paw'

There’s something strangely satisfying about watching childhood classics being flipped into horrors. "Aladdin" is the latest to get a terrifying reimagining, and no, there’s no magic carpet ride to save the day in this version.

Titled "Aladdin: The Monkey’s Paw", the film swaps out the sunny streets of Agrabah for modern-day London, where the story follows a man named Aladdin who inherits an ancient monkey’s paw said to grant wishes.

But as with most things that seem too good to be true, there’s a catch. Every wish comes with a soul-shattering price, and the evil it unleashes doesn’t go quietly.

It’s a far cry from the 1992 animated musical that many grew up on, or even the polished 2019 live-action remake. This time, the tone is unapologetically sinister, more nightmares than nostalgia.

According to "Deadline", filming begins next month in the UK. The cast includes "Queen of the South’s" Nick Sagar, former "EastEnders" favourite Ricky Norwood, "Tell Me Everything’s" Montana Manning and horror regular Bradley Stryker, who is also directing the film.

The screenplay is written by Charley McDougall.

McDougall said in a statement that the team were keen to "explore horror through a personal lens - not just the scares, but the human cost of wishes." 

He added, "This story's been haunting us for a while, and it's time to let it loose. The best horror films haunt you long after the credits roll. That's what this story does. It's sharp, emotional, and full of dread in all the right ways."

This trend of twisting childhood favourites into something far darker isn’t exactly new, but it’s been picking up speed in recent years.

In 2023, "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey" caused a stir online and at the box office for all the wrong, or right, reasons, depending on your taste.

The film flipped the beloved bear and his friends from the "Hundred Acre Wood" into a bloodthirsty nightmare, turning one of literature’s gentlest characters into a masked killer.

Shortly after that, "Mickey’s Mouse Trap" surfaced - a low-budget horror flick that reimagined Steamboat Willie, the 1928 black-and-white version of Mickey Mouse, as a knife-wielding villain.

The film was only possible because Steamboat Willie officially entered the public domain in early 2024, freeing up its use for anyone to reinterpret without Disney’s legal team stepping in.

The slasher plot includes a group of university students trapped in an arcade, stalked by a killer in a Mickey-style mask. Unsettling, to say the least.

"Aladdin: The Monkey’s Paw" aims to delve into the consequences of tampering with fate, drawing inspiration from W. W. Jacobs' 1902 horror short story "The Monkey's Paw."

​The original tale tells of a family who comes into possession of a mystical monkey’s paw that grants three wishes, but with each wish comes an unbearable cost.

The horror emerges not from the wishes themselves, but from the tragic aftermath when those wishes are granted.

As for "The Monkey’s Paw", don't expect catchy songs or a cheerful genie.

This "Aladdin" is haunted by something much darker than a villain in a turban. And once the paw starts granting wishes, there’s no rubbing the lamp to take it all back.