Disney finds its new Aladdin in a Canadian actor and more arts stories you might have missed

Here at CBC Arts, you won't just find our original content — we also bring you the best art posts from across the entire CBC network.

These are the week's can't-miss stories:

Meet the Canadian actor who will be the star of Disney's new Aladdin movie (q)

Disney has found their Aladdin at last. After months of searching for the perfect star of the upcoming live-action remake, Toronto actor Mena Massoud has been announced for the role — and he seems even more excited about it than we are. "So honoured and grateful for the opportunity to help bring this magical story to life one again," he tweeted. "Let's get to work!"

Journalist who uncovered R. Kelly sex 'cult' says media 'has not done its job' (q)

After an article revealing disturbing new allegations against R. Kelly was published last week, q spoke with writer Jim DeRogatis about the information his piece has brought to light. The report alleges that the R&B artist has been luring young black women into what DeRogatis describes as a "sex cult," in which the women live in his homes and he controls their every move. "The point [is] how harrowing the trail of damaged young women has been in his wake," DeRogatis told guest host Ali Hassan.

The great Canadian reading list: 150 books to read for Canada 150 (CBC Books)

Read these all before the year is over? Challenge accepted. CBC Books asked its readers, prominent Canadians and radio guests for their recommendations of essential reading for Canada's sesquicentennial — and now they've put together a list of 150 books from the suggestions.

This woman wanted to show what mental illness is really like, so she created a videogame (CBC Toronto)

If you live with mental illness, you know how difficult it can be to describe what you're going through — and if you haven't experienced it yourself, you know how difficult it can be to understand. Now, a former computer programmer from Toronto has created a video game called Inpatient — A Psychiatric Story to bridge that gap. Alana Zablocki told CBC Toronto that although she first wanted a tool to explain her struggles to her own friends and family, she realized it would be helpful for the public at large, too.

Doctor Who's Canadian co-creator told the BBC to cast a woman in 1986 (As It Happens)

Controversy erupted after Jodie Whittaker was cast as the first female lead of Doctor Who — but it turns out having a female Doctor isn't a new idea. In fact, the show's Canadian co-creator Sydney Newman first made the suggestion to the BBC more than 30 years ago. And even before then, actor Tom Baker and show producer John Nathan-Turner had floated the idea as early as 1981. Turns out women existing isn't that crazy after all, eh?

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