7 Aug – Fans will get to see not only familiar faces in the upcoming live-action "Aladdin" but also some new ones it seems. Nasim Pedrad has recently been roped in to play a new character in the movie, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Pedrad will be playing Mara, who is said to have been written specifically for the movie, and given Pedrad's knack for comedy, it will of course be a comedic role. Pedrad's Mara might be seen in quite a few scenes with leading lady Jasmine since she is the latter's handmaiden and friend. Known for her stint on Saturday Night Live, on which she previously played Jasmine in one of the skits, the comedienne has also appeared on the small screen in "Scream Queens" and "New Girl" as well as on the big screen in "No Strings Attached" and "Cooties". She also lent her voice to animated films such as "The Lorax" and "Despicable Me 2". The 35-year-old joins a cast currently made up of Will Smith as Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, and "Power Rangers'" Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Aside from Pedrad, another newcomer to the cast will be Marwan Kenzari ("Ben Hur", "The Mummy", "Murder on the Orient Express"), who is set to play Jafar, the villainous character previously voiced by Jonathan Freeman in the 1992 animated classic. Guy Ritchie will be directing the live-action feature, which will maintain the original's musical elements akin to what Disney recently did with its highly successful – despite a little controversial – Emma Watson and Dan Stevens-starring "Beauty and the Beast".