After what seemed like an eternity of fits and starts, production is now underway on Disney's Sleeping Beauty reimagining, Maleficent, which has Angelina Jolie in the title role of the evil fairy sorceress at the center of the story. Disney has a lot riding on the film, especially after they pulled the plug on their own Snow White flick, Order of the Seven. Snow White and the Huntsman proved that live-action fairy tales can be successful with the proper amount of star power attached, and Maleficent has that in spades.
The first image of Jolie as the horn-rimmed Maleficent has emerged, and she definitely looks like Disney's preeminent villain. That's not really much of a shock, though, with renowned production designer Robert Stromberg directing. It'll be more interesting to see how the tone of the film will be. This is Disney, so the inclination would lean towards it being a bit lighter in a Mirror Mirror sort of way. On the other hand, the story is seen from Maleficent's point of view, and details the events that led up to her becoming the villainess she turned out to be, leading to her cursing Aurora with the sleeping spell. Cheery? Not really.
Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley, Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville will join Jolie when Maleficent opens in 3D on March 14th 2014.
