Random Fuzzy
Maleficent 2 we're working on, most likely. We have been working on the script and this is going to be a really strong sequel. And I look forward to having some fun with that.
- It sounds like it will be ready to go "in the months to come" or after Ad Astra, so we should be hearing about a director very soon.
I've taken over a year off now, because of my family situation, to take care of my kids.
Is that resolved?
JOLIE: When they can have – when I feel it's time for me to go back to work, I'll be able to go back to work. I've been needed at home. I hope in the months to come.
- She has clearly linked her ability to go back to work with her "family situation" being resolved. At this point, she has in fact already started working since she has been collaborating with Jez Butterworth and Disney on Maleficent 2's script. And it looks like also with Sony on Cleopatra's script.
Brad is filming and she has started working and planning her filming schedule. It's fairly obvious that the "family situation" is already resolved. She no longer "need(s to stay) at home."
Cleopatra, there is a script.
- After years of waiting for Eli Roth to come up with an acceptable script, it seems David Scarpa has succeeded. Roth's name is no longer listed by IMDb but Brian Helgeland, who worked on the first script, still is. What remains to be seen is if Martin Scorsese still wants to direct and if he can entice Daniel Day Lewis to come out of retirement to play Julius Caesar as he had originally envisioned.
Since she volunteered this update without being specifically asked, Cleopatra is likely ready to go after Maleficent 2 -- perhaps after World War Z 2. Scorsese is currently filming The Irishman with Robert de Niro and Al Pacino for Netfilx. He has a long list of potential projects including another with Leo DiCaprio.
Cleopatra was famously discussed in the Sony emails leaked 3 years ago. The one below reports on a conversation with Scorsese's agent, Rick Yorn, regarding his interest to direct and his intention to cast DDL and Leo diCaprio with Angelina.
From: <Wyman>, Mark <Mark_Wyman@spe.sony.com>
Date: Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 5:40 PM
To: ITPS <Michael_Deluca@spe.sony.com>
Cc: "Gumpert, Andrew" <Andrew_Gumpert@spe.sony.com>
Subject: Cleo/Scorsese
Had a brief conversation with Rick (still not feeling well). He said Marty is interested, but the deal will have to “blow him away” and he will want a big development fee and producer credit. He mentioned that he starts shooting Silence soon, do you know anything about that picture? (It looks like a big independent with Emmet/Furla, Checchi Gori, etc.) He says Marty got more than 10MM on Wolf and Hugo, but he is getting back to me with quotes. He also said Daniel Day Lewis and Leo were going to be in Cleo, in addition to Angelina, but that Rick “lives in the real world” and knows there will be some kind of “box”. Re Paramount, he will also get me that obligation, but he said “Amy knows about it” with the implication that we should be OK with Par co-fi because “Amy knows”. I told him this could be a hurdle, but that perhaps they could be passive without any right to distribute (Andrew, can we do that?), which he thought might work. Let’s see what he comes back with.
Pascal at one point wrote: “Marty's version of Cleopatra is very complicated... but it's just my opinion.”
The exchange below which was the last on the film included in the leak seemed to indicate that they were very close to a deal with Scorsese.
From: Rick Yorn <rmy@lbient.com>
Date: November 17, 2014 at 8:00:01 AM PST
To: "Pascal, Amy" <Amy_Pascal@spe.sony.com>
Cc: Ari Emanuel <aemanuel@WMEentertainment.com>
Subject: Re:
Yes. We are getting your guys info on paramount deal, etc
Happy Monday
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 17, 2014, at 7:53 AM, Pascal, Amy <Amy_Pascal@spe.sony.com> wrote:
Can we get into the deal with Marty today?
****
"Right now, I don't have anything to direct that I feel passionate about like this."
"There's a lot of different things floating around. But I haven't committed."
She has apparently only committed to Maleficent 2 and Cleopatra.
“I am not very good at just letting things happen. I am somebody who will try to jump in. I can’t help myself.
- This may be a reference to when she intervened to help Brad reconnect with the children, esp. the boys who at the time refused his visits, by helping him learn how to interact with them and then joining them for family therapy.
We also propose that the parties participate in joint sessions with a trauma specialist so that they may learn how to best support and interact with their children given their current state.
She is looking for a new home in the Los Angeles area so that she can continue the family therapy sessions."
I don’t enjoy it. It’s not something I wanted. No. Sorry, there’s just nothing good about it. It’s just hard.
- You can replace "it" with "being apart from Brad."
*****
The September issue of Harper's Bazaar with The Weeknd on the cover was revealed August 3, a Thursday. I presume her spread that was shot in Namibia is the October cover and that it should be released either this Thursday, Sept. 7 -- days before TIFF, or next Thursday, Sept 14 -- right before the film is released worldwide.
*****
Select quotes
I'm OK. “It is hard. This is the first time I’ve actually been doing this (interview) after a long time. I am a little shy at this time, because I am not as strong I think inside as I have been in the past.
It's not easy doing press right now ... I can't pretend this isn't a tough time in my life, but I'm trying to get through it by just moving forward and knowing it's part of being human. Sometimes I can forget that and we can all get pretty hard on each other.
I actually couldn’t be at the final post (production for the film). “I couldn’t be there because of family issues. So sometimes, it appears I’m pulling it all together, but in fact, I’m just trying to get through my days. But if you love what you do, then you tend to push forward and enjoy it.
For me, this last year has been difficult. I haven’t actually worked other than focusing on the work in Nairobi and my teaching. I've spent most of my days just taking care of the children. I will eventually balance more and do more work but because of family issues it's been extremely tough.
What do you like about being a single? And what do you dislike?
I don't like it. It's not something I wanted.
Is there a good side?
No. I'm sorry, but there's nothing good. It's hard.
Where do you find the time as a single mother, and also shoot films?
Last year it was impossible. I needed and wanted to look after my children. Now I am starting again to find the right balance between home life and work.
Well I think every mother knows that it’s hard. I always ask myself that question and I am not very good at it. I am told often that I should try to find more time for myself, but I do love being a mom.
Yes, my body has sometimes taken a hit with all of the things that I had to do. And then, emotionally, it was a difficult year on top of all that. But I don't want my children to feel my stress; they need to feel my joy and have joy in just living every day.
With so much in life, you have to focus on how much worse it could be. And I am so happy I don’t have cancer, and I am so happy that I had the surgeries which will hopefully prevent me from getting cancer. If I get it, it will be delayed a few years and chemo will be delayed a few years, and the exchange for that peace of mind is quite good.
But the only thing I do is try to laugh as much as possible. We tend to get so stressed that our children feel our stress. They need to feel our joy and have joy. For everything that we go through, just living every day, and while you are healthy and even if you’re going through chemo, find the ability to live, love and laugh. It may sound like a postcard, but it’s true.”
As a mother, I am proud of my children and what they do. It is a good experience for them to be working on the film.
Listen, when you have six kids, you realise you are the boss of nothing.
I am not very good at just letting things happen. I am somebody who will try to jump in. I can’t help myself.
As I said before, it is interesting and we focus so much on many things but making sure our children have a sense of joy is not a small thing, because we want to make sure that they have a sense of purpose of course. But their purpose gives them a sense of that they are looking forward in this life and that they feel engaged in this life and that they wake up with a certain sense of drive. But also that they laugh, live and appreciate. So challenges are when there are a lot of heavy things going on or just daily life or teenagers. I have many teenagers now and there are all the complications that come with it. I am just hoping that nobody will ever be as difficult as I was. So far they are not.”
They have been amazing. They’re just like (Loung and her siblings) in the film. I know that they will have each other for life. It’s been so moving to see how much they have helped each other, stood together, the big brothers helping the little kids and all of them helping me. They are your kids and you speak of your own kids, but they have really come into their own during this time. They are finding themselves and their voices. They are just like, in the film I supposed, I know that they will have each other for life. I see them together and it gives me great peace to know that the day I pass away, they will have each other and take care of each other for life.
Ten years ago I would have not absolutely said where I am today, because I would have thought very differently about my family life and my marriage. I would have thought very differently about my career. I would have never thought that I was going to be a director. I would have bet on just all the kids, all the travel and continuing that work. In 10 years, I don’t know. You get to that age and you just want to be healthy. So I hope I am able to still be creative and Mad will be 26. He just got to be 16 and I couldn’t stop crying as I was reading him his card. He couldn’t stop laughing at me. So I don’t know. I guess in ten years, they are all out of the house. So I have no idea what I will be doing. Chasing them around I suppose. Hopefully no grandkids yet.”
Oh my goodness,” she began. “I still fly. It’s been a while, because life takes over. But my boys are all flying. They’re all taking lessons—even Knox. He likes it, but you have to help him with the pedals. Actually, they’re flying so much that there’s no space for mom (laughs).
Actually, they are flying this weekend. The kids fly so much that I can barely see them on the weekend.
“I always feel like the best adventure is the next one. But now, with the kids, [it’s] nice to be able to think they’re my partners. And what are we going to do and where are we going to go?”
“I always feel like the best adventure is the next one. But now, with the kids, [it’s] nice to be able to think they’re my partners. And what are we going to do and where are we going to go?”
I’ve started cooking lessons. I’m not sure how good I am at it. But cooking is one of those things when you are settled in your life and you take that time, you can enjoy food and cooking. Somehow I am very impatient and I am a little bit erratic, so it’s very hard to stand in the kitchen, but I am really trying. I’ve learned with the kids that if I cook, they all hang out. They just love it, but they often take over and tell me that they can do it better.”
So then I had a thought that maybe it’s a genius thing for a woman to say, ‘I can’t cook,’ because now all my children can cook really well. I joke that I did it on purpose.
I can’t follow a recipe. I am not one of those people. I don’t like to follow the rules, so I am a little bad at that.”
Well, there’s probably 12 of us (Angelinas). But now I need to rediscover a little bit of some of the feeling of the old me actually. We lose our way a bit and we get quite overwhelmed. I have had a lot happen in my life from certain people passing to health issues to raising the children and a lot of things. It’s been a very good time to absorb a lot, develop a lot and grow. But maybe it’s also my kids growing up where I am starting to realize my own sense of play has been put on hold a little bit, my own sense of joy. Maybe with them hitting their teens is going to bring out a little more fun in mom. So maybe I am going back. It may be time.
(bing translate)
Your winery Miraval in France produces very good wines. Will you continue to do so in the future?
Absolutely. Soon we will have a new wine coming to the market. The Miraval well is something particularly beautiful for our family. We have a deep connection with it. I hope this remains the case.
*****
The paragraph below relates to her support for the work of the ICC in bringing those who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity etc. to justice. She is referring to reconciliation between victims and perpetrators (shown in three of her films) such as between Louie Zamperini and his former Japanese captors, with warring sides in Bosnia or with former Khmer Rouge members. She has spoken about this many times before. She states very clearly at the start that her response refers to political situations. This is clearly NOT about Brad. Recall how she acted swiftly after TMZ tried to twist an excerpt of her remarks to the ICC about bringing to justice those who had committed crimes against children (like Joseph Kony) as a reference to Brad. She asked the ICC and the person who posted the video excerpt to delete their tweets. It is just one of many instances since the incident when she showed she was very protective of and looking after Brad. The others included: her refusal to divulge what happened on the plane even when asked directly by the BBC, avoiding any mention of the DCFS' child abuse investigation, never giving any hint about Brad's actions and behavior, not mentioning the children's trauma, asking therapists to join them so he could spend the Holidays with the family.
Most of the HFPA members get to see her during a press con. We saw the photos of her addressing the press con earlier and this happens every time she meets them. I have yet to read an HFPA write up that admits that they participated in a press con despite the fact that they all sport the same quotes. They always write it up like they had a one on one, often adding questions to fit the answers after the fact and at times making misleading assumptions or interpretations. I have observed that this always happens from previous years which is why, as I did above, I prefer to focus solely on her quotes. They don't all transcribe her quotes verbatim so it is also necessary to compare several to get a feel for consistency. Regardless of what the Manila Bulletin writer, Nepales, chose to provide as a question, Angelina clearly stresses that her answer is political and there is no reason to interpret it otherwise outside of a desire to do so.
Well it’s a very good question I think because, it gets political this answer, I believe in justice and I believe that without any form of justice, it’s very hard to ask for complete forgiveness. I speak to the kids often and I say I don’t want you to hold ill will towards anybody in your heart, wish for anything bad for anybody or have hate towards anybody. But the idea that there is a right and a wrong, there is truth to that. There is a right and a wrong. There is justice and there is criminal behavior. There is cruelty and there are things that must be stood up against. So in order to be able to get to a place of peace and forgiveness, you have to address the crime and you have to make sure that the crime does not repeat itself. I can reconcile if I feel that there has been some form of justice done and some lesson learned. But I believe that we must do that, or else we are just staying in the cycle. But in my heart, I think it’s very important not to ever hold hate, and it just destroys you. And Louis taught me that.
*****
-- Fussy
