The actor is in early talks to play the genie in Disney's live-action Aladdin remake, according to Deadline.

Should Smith manage to land the plum role, it could prove very, very lucrative. Live-action remakes have become a cash-cow for Disney after Beauty and the Beast stormed the box office.

But the potentially massive pay cheque does come with a catch. Smith will have massive shoes to fill, given the original Genie was voiced by Robin Williams in the original 1992 film.

The role will also be a change of pace for Smith, who has been starring in a string of action films lately. These include the 2016 film Suicide Squad and the upcoming fantasy cop thriller Bright.

However, playing a blue, singing genie wouldn't be a stretch too far for Smith. He did, after all, become a household name after playing a young rapper in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Like Beauty and the Beat, the Aladdin live-action remake isn't expected to deviate too much from the original animated classic. The new film will still follow the story of how Aladdin stumbles across a magic lamp and releases a genie who grants him three wishes.

While Smith is being scoped out to play Genie, Aladdin and Princess Jasmine are expected to be played by up-and-coming actors.

Production is set to kick-off in July and wrap-up by 2018.

The original Aladdin earned Disney more than $660 million worldwide.

The stage production, which had played to packed houses in Sydney since July last year, opens in Melbourne on Thursday.