Maleficent (film)

Maleficent is an upcoming 2014 fantasy thriller film directed by Robert Stromberg and starring Angelina Jolie as the title character. The story focuses on the Sleeping Beauty story, but from the perspective of the villainous Maleficent. It began filming on June 18, 2012 and is scheduled for release on May 30, 2014. Maleficent will be released in 3D and is produced by Joe Roth and directed by Robert Stromberg, from a screenplay written by Linda Woolverton.

Plot
A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal – an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom – and perhaps to Maleficent's true happiness as well."

Production
On May 12, 2009, it was revealed that Brad Bird was developing a live-action motion picture based on Sleeping Beauty, retold from the point of view of Maleficent with Angelina Jolie starring as Maleficent. In January 2010, it was rumored that Tim Burton was to direct the film. Reports surfaced online in May 2011 stating that Burton had left the project to focus on his other upcoming projects; Disney began to look for a replacement director, with David Yates being cited as a potential candidate due to his experience with the fantasy genre, having directed the final four Harry Potter films. Linda Woolverton, who previously collaborated with Tim Burton on Alice in Wonderland, is writing the script for the movie. Angelina Jolie said in an interview that she is definitely interested in the role. Don Hahn, a producer of the movie, confirmed that Disney is developing a film about Maleficent and that it is in active development. On January 6, 2012, Disney announced that Robert Stromberg, the production designer for Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, will direct the film.

Sharlto Copley (District 9) was recently named as the male lead for Stromberg's live action retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale. Heat Vision also reports that Imelda Staunton and Miranda Richardson (Harry Potter) have been cast for the film, along with Kenneth Cranham (Hot Fuzz), Sam Riley (Control), and Lesley Manville (Another Year).

According to the Hollywood Reporter's blog article, Staunton and Manville will be playing the characters of Knotgrass and Flittle, respectively, "two of the three pixies that end up taking care of Aurora." Meanwhile Super 8 starlet Elle Fanning has long been rumored as the choice to play the aforementioned Princess, and Heat Vision's report confirms her name as officially being onboard the project. In the role of Queen Ulla, Richardson will be acting as "a Fairy Queen who is Maleficent’s aunt with a dislike of her niece." Meanwhile Cranham will play the human king who plots to conquer the fairy kingdom, and Riley will portray Diaval, "a raven who changes into human form and is Maleficent’s right hand." The source also mentions Copley’s gig in the lead of King Stefan, describing his role as "the half-human, half-fairy bastard son of the human king." On May 31, 2012, Deadline.com reports that Home and Away star Brenton Thwaites has been cast to the role of the charming Prince Phillip.

With a budget estimated at $200 million, filming began on June 18, 2012 in London with the first pictures from set emerging and the first official look of Jolie as Maleficent. Seven-time Academy Award winner Rick Baker designed the special makeup effects for the film. Post-production began on October 5, 2012.

The movie's official's date is set for July 2, 2014, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Filming is reportedly taking place in the Buckinghamshire countryside. On September 18, 2013, the film's release date was pushed up from July 2, 2014, to May 30, 2014.

On October 10, 2013, John Lee Hancock (director of The Blind Side and Saving Mr. Banks and writer of Snow White and the Huntsman) will help Stromberg with the re-shoots for the film. Joe Roth said that "the film is not in trouble. The last half is great and it looks real pretty and stuff, it's just that the beginning needs some tweaking. That's all." Hancock, who just finished overseeing the final post-production stages of Saving Mr. Banks, was approached by Roth, who the both of them had previously worked together on Snow White and the Huntsman. "We asked him to be on set," producer Joe Roth said of Hancock. "He's not directing. He wrote pages, and I hired a first-time director, and it's good to have him on set." Roth was asked why a "film of this magnitude was entrusted to a novice director", and he noted that Stromberg won Oscars for production design on Alice in Wonderland and Avatar. "The movie is gorgeous to look at, and the last 75 minutes (1hr 25min) are really entertaining," he says. The issue is the opening, which is being reshot over eight days." The new scenes do not involve Jolie, as she's in Australia prepping to direct her World War II drama Unbroken.

Cast

 * Angelina Jolie as Maleficent
 * Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora
 * Brenton Thwaites as Prince Phillip
 * Sam Riley as Diaval
 * Sharlto Copley as King Stefan
 * Kenneth Cranham as King Hubert
 * Miranda Richardson as Queen Ulla
 * Ella Purnell as Teen Maleficent
 * Peter Capaldi as King Kinloch
 * Imelda Staunton as Knotgrass
 * Lesley Manville as Flittle
 * Juno Temple as Thistlewit
 * Hannah New as Leila
 * Marama Corlette as Servant
 * Isobelle Molloy as Young Maleficent
 * Toby Regbo as Young King Stefan
 * Vivienne Jolie-Pitt as Young Princess Aurora

Trivia

 * Jude Law was considered to play King Stefan before Sharlto Copley was cast.
 * Emma Thompson and Judi Dench were considered for the roles of the fairies.
 * Logan Marshall-Green, George Blagden, Gael García Bernal and Jim Sturgess were considered for the role that eventually went to Sam Riley.
 * Patrick Stewart was considered for a role.