Disney's ‘Maleficent' - May 30th, 2014

[Walts Ghost]

‘Maleficent’ Finds a Director in Production Designer and VFX Supervisor Robert Stromberg

Over the past two years, Disney’s Sleeping Beauty retelling Maleficent has attracted the attention of several high-profile directors. Tim Burton was the first one attached to the project, back when it was first announced, and Darren Aronofsky, David O. Russell, and Guillermo del Toro are among the other names who’ve been rumored or who have expressed interest in the film.

The man who’s actually landed the job, however, is somewhat lesser known. Disney has tapped visual effects supervisor and production designer Robert Stromberg to helm the film, which will mark his directorial debut. Previously announced star Angelina Jolie is still set to play the lead.

Although Stromberg is new to directing, he’s been working in Hollywood since the late ’80s and has racked up plenty of experience with spectacle-heavy tentpole films. He’s worked on visual effects for movies like G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. In addition, he’s served as a production designer on Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, and the upcoming Oz: The Great and Powerful — the latter two of which are Disney films.

If I’m being honest, the announcement comes as a tiny bit of a letdown after the big names that have been circulating for the past several months. But there’s no reason to believe he won’t do well in his first time in the director’s chair, and I suppose everyone has to start somewhere.

Scripted by Alice in Wonderland scribe Linda Woolverton, Maleficent follows the Sleeping Beauty tale from the villainess’ point of view. Jolie has been attached to star as the self-titled “Mistress of All Evil” since 2010. Maleficent falls neatly into the revisionist fairy tale trend that’s hot in Hollywood at the moment, along with such movies as Snow White and the Huntsman, Mirror, Mirror, and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. And as Deadline notes, it should also prove an appropriate complement to the rest of Disney’s upcoming slate, which also include Sam Raimi’s Wizard of Oz prequel Oz: The Great and Powerful and Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger.

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[EricJ]

Well, Disney's main impetus for making this movie in the first place just went flying out the window...

[The Mad Kiwi]

As big of a Sleeping Beauty fan as I am, this project doesn't sit well with me. It basically feels like Disney said, "Well, we can't do Wicked since Universal owns the rights, so let's do our own version with our most popular villain!" Maybe they've got some good ideas up their sleeve to make this project feel unique, but I just have a feeling the whole misunderstood-villain template will seem too familiar.

Plus, we've got Linda Woolverton penning the screenplay. Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King may be among my favorite Disney films, but judging on what happened with Alice in Wonderland, it seems the story teams on the first two films were a huge factor in the success of those scripts with Woolverton only providing a base for them to work off of. When left to her own devices, she seems to have difficulty balancing out things. Her book for the Beauty and the Beast Broadway musical was far too comedic. Her screenplay for Burton's Alice in Wonderland was far too serious. Odd how that works out.

I'm not sure what to think about Angelina Jolie. Her personal life aside, I do feel she's a strong actress, but I'm having trouble seeing her as Maleficent. It comes across a little too desperately as stunt casting, though that really doesn't matter as long as she delivers in the end. Let's see what happens.

[P@t_Mtl]

I am just in shock that it's not Tim Burton

[masoud90]

We will see....Angelina Jolie is awesome, so...

[Batman1980]

I'm completely on board since Sleeping Beauty is still one of my favourite films of all-time.

[iraino]

I love Angelina Jolie and Maleficent is one of my favorite villains, so I can't wait to see this.

[Jezza]

I'm actually quite excited by this, as I've always wondered what a live-action take on one other their animated movies would be like.

My only complaint is in the original 1959 film, she had an English accent, and I just feel that should be carried over into the live-action version, even if I do say so myself. And going by Jolie's take on the accent in the Tomb Raider films, I'm not expecting it will be done here.

Nonetheless, this could actually be very good in the right hands.

[greg_achen]

Considering the worst thing about Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was Linda Woolverton's script, I am not too optimistic about this adaptation. Besides, one of the reasons Maleficent resonates with people as the "ultimate Disney villain" is her apparent lack of motive for her evil. Humanizing her and giving her reason may very well ruin what made her character so unique and appealing to begin with.

[Brightstar]

Sounds intresting we will have to wait and see

[Lnds500]

YEEEES!!!!

[Blu Ian]

Can you put that in a spoiler tag, you broke the page.

[Pounder]

Originally Posted by Lnds500;6085606[SPOILER

][/SPOILER]






YEEEES!!!!

I like it

[Jezza]

Looking good, and promising.

This will be one of those films which will be surprisingly great, with a dark and moody mature tone, or completely sh!t over the original 1959 classic. I just hope it's the former, because this could be one great film if everything falls into place just right.

[SirMontyPython]

Originally Posted by Lnds500

YEEEES!!!!

Wow!! Epic WIN!!

[Edword]

Sounds like it should be interesting.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Jezza

Looking good, and promising.

This will be one of those films which will be surprisingly great, with a dark and moody mature tone, or completely sh!t over the original 1959 classic. I just hope it's the former, because this could be one great film if everything falls into place just right.

With Linda W., I'm expecting the latter. From EXPERIENCE.
(Although I only know B&B, TLK and Tim's Alice, did she ruin any other classic stories by ad-libbing crazily off onto wild feminist-improvisation benders? Have to look up IMDB.)

This was made at the height of Disney's "We can get Tim & Linda to make a hundred Alices!", so I'm guessing it'll be everything the first one was, and so much less.
TBA dangerously treaded the confusion between "Alice = Oz" and "Oz = Wicked: the Musical", so "The true story of Maleficent"?....YOU tell me where this's headed, gay-Tim or no gay-Tim.

[cinemaphile]

we seem to have two Maleficent threads... time to merge.

[Lnds500]

She looks Maleficent! Angelina Jolie gets constant touch-ups to her villainous costume as she starts shooting new Disney movie

Everyone knows that a hair and make-up team are always on standby on a film set, but some stars need it more than others.
Angelina Jolie is certainly in need of regular touch-ups for her latest role and was spotted being pampered on the set of Maleficent in Buckinghamshire today.
The 37-year-old has taken on the role of evil sorcess Maleficient in an adaptation of Sleeping Beauty and to do so, she has undergone something of a transformation.

Playing the part well: Angelina Jolie certainly appeared to be in character as Maleficent as she wandered across the grass on the first day of shooting of the new Disney movie


How do I look? Angelina Jolie speaks with a make-up artist on her first day on the Maleficent movie set

Angelina was seen in the middle of a field today in full costume as she continued to film scenes for the upcoming Disney movie.
Wearing a long brown cape and black horns, the actress was spied having her make-up retouched by a female artist while a male member of the crew dealt with her long brunette hair.
It was only yesterday that fans got a sneak peek of Angelina's character and what they can expect from the fairytale film.

Transformation: The actress was wearing a long brown cape and black horns as she stood in the middle of a field


Time for a touch up: Angelina Jolie has her hair and make-up seen to as she continues to film Disney film Maleficent


Working their magic: A female make-up artist was seen applying a product to Angelina's face while her long hair was held back

Wearing a leather horned headdress, and yellowed contacts, the actress was also given a bit of help in the cheek department with the addition of some Lady Gaga-style cheek prosthetics.
Angelina plays the title role in the updated version of Disney's 1959 animated feature Sleeping Beauty and of her costuming she said: 'We’re experimenting with different things. But the horns are the horns — you can’t deny them. You have to have horns.'

Enjoying herself: The Hollywood star shared a joke with the crew in between takes


Double take: Angelina was surrounded by cattle as she shot her scenes and a lookalike was also on set


Getting into the role: Angelina looked in good spirits on the set, despite a long day of filming


What's so funny? Angelina shared a joke with the crew as she headed back to do another take of one particular scene

In this updated version, the focus of the film centres on the events that hardened Maleficent's heart, leading her to curse the baby Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), played by Elle Fanning.
Angelina told EW: 'It’s not anti-princess, but it’s the first time they’re looking at this epic woman.
'I hope in the end you see a woman who is capable of being many things, and just because she protects herself and is aggressive, it doesn’t mean she can’t have other [warmer] qualities'

Impressive: Angelina wore a full-skirted dress underneath a huge coat for the scenes


Heading into the light: Two huge studio lights were shone on Angelina as the natural light began to fade on the set of the film

As a woman who is used to dividing opinion, Angelina was clearly attracted to taking on such a 'imperfect' character.
She said: 'It sounds really crazy to say that there will be something that’s good for young girls in this, because it sounds like you’re saying they should be a villain. [Maleficent] is actually a great person. But she’s not perfect. She’s far from perfect.'
Angelina was seen taking her family to see musical Wicked based on the novel by Gregory Maguire while in London, which similarly tells the story of the Wicked Witch Of The West before she turns bad.

'In general, it’s a very good message to say, “Let’s look at something from the other side.” But then also, what our challenge will be - and the script writer [The Lion King and Alice in Wonderland’s Linda Woolverton] has already cracked it - is not to simplify it, not to just reverse the story but tell a bigger story that doesn’t point the finger [at Princess Aurora] either.'
According to the popular fairytale, Maleficent was angry that she wasn't invited to the beautiful Princess's christening, and as a result cursed the infant to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die before the end of her 16th birthday.

Other stars signed up to the film include Miranda Richardson, who will play Queen Ulla, and Juno Temple, as Thistletwit, one of the three fairies tasked with taking care of Aurora in a cottage in the woods - which, going on the set, may now be a tent in a small settlement.
She is joined by Imelda Staunton will play fairy Knotgrass and Lesley Manville who will star as fairy Flittle.

But it is still unclear who will play Prince Philip, Aurora's love and the man who defeats Maleficent, although as other characters' names have been changed, it could well be Control star Sam Riley, who is billed to play Diaval.
The Jolie-Pitts have made the U.K. their temporary home and have been seen on family outings to the theatre and stores.

Crew member have been busy erecting tepee style style tents, stoves over open fires, crumbly brick walls and horse-drawn carts.
And while they work to make the set look perfect for their star, security guards with huge Rottweilers patrol the perimeter.
The film will be directed by Robert Stromberg and is set for release on March 14, 2014.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...#ixzz1yMbY8i00

I know it's gonna change, but I can't say I like this outfit. It looks too much like a costume, I expected it to be more "seamless". The horns could have been more natural-looking as well. They look like an add-on you have glued on somebody. The originals looked like they were an extension of here skull or something.

[cinemaphile]

Originally Posted by Lnds500

I know it's gonna change, but I can't say I like this outfit. It looks too much like a costume, I expected it to be more "seamless". The horns could have been more natural-looking as well. They look like an add-on you have glued on somebody. The originals looked like they were an extension of here skull or something.

Costumes look VERY different on screen as well versus paparazzi BTS shots. Almost all costumes look fairly ridiculous when you see them like this, but then look fine on film.