Comparisons of the first teaser poster for #Maleficent and the teaser poster for its sequel. Just when you thought Disney was done adding giant movies to its 2019 slate! The original MALEFICENT is Angelina Jolie’s highest grossing film ever at the global box office ($758M) pic.twitter.com/oJkTgwgtJ1
It's possible Elle shot solo scenes. It's also possible Angelina flew back to the U.K for the last days of filming and to hand out her gifts to the cast and crew. She was last seen out in L.A. on Tuesday.
It seems Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning sent gifts to the Maleficent 2 crew 💞 pic.twitter.com/xKSuipS2zR
Pinewood has been home to #Maleficent2 and this week they begin to round off their filming. We wish #Maleficent2 and @joachimronning the best of luck with the next stage of production, it’s been magical having you here at the Studios pic.twitter.com/QOqYDG5w7E
One of Disney’s most iconic villains is returning to cast her magic
over Disney fans everywhere. Production has begun at Pinewood Studios
and locations around the U.K. on Maleficent II, the enchanting sequel to 2014’s Maleficent.
Picking up several years after the original film explored the events
that hardened the heart of Disney’s most notorious villain and drove her
to curse a baby Princess Aurora, Oscar® and three-time Golden Globe®
winner Angelina Jolie returns to reprise the title role, along with Elle
Fanning reprising her role as the lovely Princess Aurora. Joining the
two are Golden Globe® Award-winning, Emmy®-nominated and three-time
Academy Award®-nominated actress Michelle Pfeiffer (Murder on the Orient Express, Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp) as Queen Ingrith; along with Academy Award® and Golden Globe nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor (Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange, 12 Years a Slave), Ed Skrein (Deadpool,Game of Thrones), and Robert Lindsay (My Family, Wimbledon). Additionally, Harris Dickinson (The Darkest Minds, Trust) joins Maleficent II as the charming Prince Phillip. Maleficent II is directed by Joachim Rønning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Kon-Tiki) and written by Linda Woolverton (Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast) and Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster (Transparent). The producers are Joe Roth (Alice through the Looking Glass, Oz the Great and Powerful, Maleficent) and Angelina Jolie.
This new fantasy-adventure continues to explore the complex
relationship between the horned fairy and the soon-to-be Queen as they
form new alliances and face new adversaries in their struggle to protect
the moors and the magical creatures that reside within.
Just as Maleficent II starts production, it has been confirmed that Robert Lindsay (Wimbledon) is joining the cast, and that Chiwetel Ejiofor is definitely attached. The 12 Years a Slave was previously in talks.
Maleficent II cameras are rolling at the UK Pinewood studios
with Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning reprising their roles as the dark
fairy Maleficent and Princess Aurora. The characters were based off
those in the animated Sleeping Beauty classic.
Also starring and previously announced are
Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith, Ed Skrein and Harris Dickinson as
Prince Phillip. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales director Joachim
Rønning is helming off a script by Linda Woolverton and Micah
Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster. Producers are Joe Roth and Jolie.
Additional cast members returning from the
2014 film include: Sam Riley (“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,”
“Control”) as Diaval; Oscar® nominee Imelda Staunton (“Pride,” the
“Harry Potter” films) as the pixie Knotgrass; Juno Temple (“Wonder
Wheel,” “Atonement”) as the pixie Thistlewit; and Academy Award® nominee
Lesley Manville (“Phantom Thread,” “Topsy-Turvy”) as the pixie Flittle.
A fantasy adventure that picks up several
years after “Maleficent,” in which audiences learned of the events that
hardened the heart of Disney’s
most notorious villain and drove her to curse a baby Princess Aurora,
“Maleficent II” continues to explore the complex relationship between
the horned fairy and the soon to be Queen, as they form new alliances
and face new adversaries in their struggle to protect the moors and the
magical creatures that reside within.
The first Maleficent opened on May 30 four years ago and amassed more than $750M at the WW B.O.
First Look! Angelina Jolie Reunites with Elle Fanning in Maleficent 2 — and Michelle Pfeiffer Joins https://t.co/fwy03OoCoS
The 42-year-old actress, director and activist is officially in London filming Maleficent 2
— the sequel to her blockbuster 2014 movie that raked in more than more
than $750 million worldwide and earned praise for Jolie.
Jolie is joined by Elle Fanning, who is reprising her role as Princess Aurora, and Michelle Pfeiffer.
The legendary actress is joining the film as Queen Ingrith, setting up
some epic scenes between her and Jolie’s dark fairy,
Maleficent. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein and Harris Dickinson are also
joining the film, while Oscar nominee Lesley Manville reprises her role
as the pixie Flittle.
The sequel picks up a few years after the first
movie’s events and follows Maleficent and Aurora as they work together
to protect the realm and all its creatures. Fanning helped announce the
news with a funny selfie of her and Jolie on set.
“It’s bring your mom to work day on the #Maleficent2 set!!!!!” Fanning captioned the shot.
She also posted another silly selfie of her standing in front of Jolie and the unmistakable horns.
“Ultimate Photobomb #Maleficent2,” Fanning wrote.
Jolie’s return to the live-action Disney villainess marks her first onscreen appearance since her 2015 role in By the Sea. The
family-friendly set is filled with kids as Jolie’s brood — Maddox, 16,
Pax, 14, Zahara 13, Shiloh, 12, and 9-year-old twins Knox and Vivenne —
are all doing their work in a school trailer.
The actress and activist has kept busy since with her humanitarian work and directing 2017’s First They Killed My Father. She’s also executive produced movies like the Oscar-nominated animated film The Breadwinner.
The movie also reunites Jolie with Fanning, who
played the older version of Princess Aurora, after the two grew close
during filming.
“I’m a very excited person I think, and I laugh a lot, so maybe that’s it,” Fanning told PEOPLE at the time of Jolie’s affection for her.
And the two had an immediate connection on set when they first met.
“When we first met, she gave me this huge hug,” Fanning said. “I think we’re huggers. That was how it all started.”
Jolie previously teased she would be returning to her old role in
September 2017 and even gave insight at a Toronto International Film
Festival discussion of her career that month on how she perfected the chilling voice. The 2014 movie featured the sweet appearance of her youngest daughter Vivienne as a young Sleeping Beauty.
“When I knew I was going to Maleficent I
thought, ‘I have to train, I’m not good enough. I’m not ready,’ ” she
said. “The accent and everything about her was discovered when I was
giving my kids baths. I think I tried 17 different things on them. They
would say, ‘What are you doing? Mom, stop talking so weird.’ One day I
just got really nutty and did [the voice] and they fell over laughing. I
did it all night long and I finally found it.”
****
nailsbyemikudoI am glad that her Maleficent nails are looking still good! 👀 ✨
we did gels for the first time, and will try custom press ons to maintain the look. My first batch was sent out to the set of GB yesterday!
****
Random Fuzzy
- The prop rings she wore onscreen for Maleficent were always big,
extravagant pieces -- and she usually wore them on the index finger of her right
hand (see Deadline photo above). What she is wearing on her left index finger is unmistakably a
band. It is too simple to be a prop and Maleficent does not have any
reason to wear a band. So it is her band. It may be the same
one she wore in Telluride, except that time it was on the middle finger
of her right hand. This time, she has it on the index finger of her
left hand. She appears to also have a ring on her left ring finger. She has not worn a ring on that finger
since Sept. 2016. She may have swapped the two since what she has on
her ring finger cannot be seen when she is flashing a peace sign.
- They gave People the tidbit that all the children are on set and have a school trailer that effectively refutes the latest round of tabloid concoctions. They apparently also put in a request that the article not mention anything about the divorce filing.
- Per the post of her L.A.-based manicurist, she hasn't had her Maleficent nails redone since that first time after Mother's Day. Either that was her last trip to L.A. or she made one more trip but was too busy to have them done. Or she simply had them done by someone else in the U.K.
-- Fussy
Friday, May 25, 2018
Random Fuzzy
- It appears filming on Maleficent 2 just started today, May 25, Friday. Or at least it started today for David Gyasi. No announcement yet from Disney and nothing from
Joachim Rønning since his "Calm before the storm" Instagram post. They may be waiting for Angelina herself to start filming her scenes. From Elle Fanning's comments, that should be imminent.
- From the logo in Gyasi's water bottle, they are currently referring to it as Maleficent II.
- Angelina reportedly brought two of the kids today to Legoland, Windsor. Filming may have started on Maleficent II but apparently she wasn't needed on set. It's the first sighting of the family out and about in
the U.K.
- According to Elle, all the kids have been on set. But before today, they've kept a very low profile in the U.K.
- Angelina, Shiloh and Knox were photographed flying out of Heathrow last Thursday, May 17. Those are still the only pap photos of them in the U.K. -- and the only photos of them at any airport. They've obviously been traveling but they've successfully eluded the paps.
- A Twitter user who works in Disneyland - Paris posted yesterday, Thursday, May 24, that Angelina was at the park and greeted him "Happy Birthday." She could have been there a day earlier since he first posted about his birthday on May 22.
- She evidently hasn't been needed on set the latter part of the week and is free to travel -- much as she did last week.
- This week, she apparently stayed in Europe. It may be because the evaluations by the mental health professionals of Brad's and the children's readiness for Brad to take over while she is filming have been completed. It had gone well and the therapists didn't need to see her again. She didn't have to make the exhausting 21+ hour round-trip to L.A. They're all set. She had some time to spare to take the children around before she has to start work full time.
- They hit two amusement parks in a row.
- Brad was photographed in L.A. on Wednesday, May 23, emerging after reportedly spending 7 hours in a building. It wasn't a production meeting since he was in a suit. Perhaps filming OUATIH?
... You’re about to reunite with Angelina Jolie for Maleficent 2. Has she given you any great advice?
I'm
in London—we're about to! I’ve never done a sequel before, so it should
be fun to re-visit a character many years later. That is something I’m
very excited for. Also, being reunited with Angie is pretty cool. She’s
just a powerhouse on set; the way that she works, she just has this
power and respect around her.
It’s so funny
because people always ask, "Oh, does she give you advice all the time?"
and it’s not so much like that. I think just watching her…and seeing
what a great mother she is. All of her kids are there and she’s walking
around—like, last time I remember, she was walking around in the whole
Maleficent outfit with two kids on each arm. She's a working woman and a
mother, and that example is such a great one for me to see. You can do
it all.
— Christina Radish (@ChristinaRadish) May 26, 2018
...
And then, you decided to go do something huge Maleficent 2.
SKREIN:It’s just fun. I’m so lucky and grateful.
That’s the definition of a big fantasy movie.
SKREIN:It
really is. I’m just so grateful that I can flirt between these tiny
independent movies and big studio blockbusters, and dance in between, as
well. There’s so much fun to be had, in both of them. Catering and
craft services is better on the big ones, and the trailers are so nice. ...
It’s been said that your character in Maleficent is a villain. What can you say about him and the kind of villain he is?
SKREIN:I can
say nothing. I can say that it’s an interesting character, and it’s
another role of a lifetime...My job is always
just about conveying human emotion, trying to be honest, and
representing real human experience to the audience members, so it’s the
same thing, in that regard. I’m just gonna show up and try to be relaxed
and honest.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Random Fuzzy
- Variety confirmed Chiwetel Ejiofor but could only repeat that "production is expected to start in 2018." In other words, filming has not yet started and Disney still wants to keep details under wraps.
- At present, Angelina has time to travel to L.A. and back. Disney may be following and waiting for her guidance.
- OUATIH will reportedly start filming this Summer. With Leo and a star-studded cast, Brad's part may be smaller than what he had in Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino's films typically have multiple simultaneous story lines and Brad shares his scenes with Leo.
- While Brad is just one of several key characters, Angelina is the title character and appears in almost every scene. His filming schedule should
be much shorter than hers.
- The L.A. - London commute may continue once there's an overlap between Maleficent 2 and OUATIH.
- Holly Goline is apparently now a Universal exec working on the Dark Universe. Her involvement is likely why Angelina has not totally ruled out Bride. But she sounded very doubtful. Recall in her August 2017 interview with Screen International:
.. (she) laughs when Bill Condon’s Bride Of Frankenstein reboot is mentioned. “There has been a discussion, but we’re not quite there. How many monsters can one play, really?”
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” actress Jenn Murray is joining the cast of “Maleficent 2” starring Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning, sources tell Variety.
Michelle Pfeiffer, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Ed Skrein are also on board to star. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” helmer Joachim Ronning is set to direct.
Joe Roth is producing the film, with Jez Butterworth and Linda
Woolverton penning the latest script. Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah
Harpster wrote the most recent draft.
It is not clear where this film will pick up following the first
movie, which was based on the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty.” The original
story centered on an evil fairy who cursed an infant princess to
eternal sleep, only to realize the young girl was the only one who could
save the kingdom from its dangerous ruler. “Maleficent” broke several
box office records on its way to making $758.5 million worldwide.
Details behind Murray’s role are currently unknown. Production on the sequel is set to start in 2018.
Along with appearing in “Fantastic Beasts,” Murray’s other recent
credits include “Brooklyn” and “Love and Friendship.” On the TV side,
she has appeared in “Truckers” and “The Fades.”
She is repped by the Curtis Brown Group and Thruline Entertainment.
It appears the start of filming on Maleficent 2 is not yet imminent. Omega Underground had earlier reported an April 16 start date but that obviously is not true. Neither of the trades had a specific date with Variety just reporting that it is "set to start in 2018."
IMDb has revised The One and Only Ivan's status to "filming" as it has apparently already started production in London. Not having read the book, I don't know how big a role Angelina's character, Stella, plays and how much interaction she has with the young stars. Even though she does not appear on screen, she likely needs to film the scenes where Stella talks to one of the young stars with them so they can play off her. Unlike seasoned actors, they can't just as easily imagine she is there and conversing with them. She is also a producer.
“Deadpool” actor Ed Skrein is in final negotiations to join Disney’s “Maleficent” sequel. Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning are returning to starring in the fantasy film, with “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” helmer Joachim Ronning to direct.
Exact details behind Skrein’s villain role are currently under wraps.
Joe Roth is producing the film, with Jez Butterworth and Linda
Woolverton penning the latest script. Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah
Harpster wrote prior drafts.
It is not clear where this film will pick up following the first
movie, which was based on the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty.” The original
story centered on an evil fairy who cursed an infant princess to
eternal sleep, only to realize the young girl was the only one who could
save the kingdom from its dangerous ruler. “Maleficent” broke several box office records on its way to making $758.5 million worldwide. Production on the sequel is set to start in 2018.
Skrein, who broke out as Ryan Reynolds nemesis in the first
“Deadpool, is also known for his role as Daario Naharis in HBO’s “Game
of Thrones.” His upcoming projects include Robert Rodriguez’s “Alita:
Battle Angel,” which James Cameron is producing, and Barry Jenkins’ “If
Beale Street Could Talk.”
He is repped by CAA and 42.
Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning are set to return for the follow-up of the 2014 hit that grossed $758 million at the global box office https://t.co/PkM8aKaZJ1
Angelina Jolie will return to star as the famed Disney villain.
Ed Skrein is stepping into the Disney kingdom.
He will play the villain opposite Angelina Jolie in Disney's Maleficent
sequel. Jolie and Elle Fanning are set return for the follow-up of the
2014 hit that grossed $758 million at the global box office. Pirates 5 filmmaker Joachim Ronning will direct the feature
that centers on the Sleeping Beauty antagonist. Joe Roth will produce
the follow-up, with Jez Butterworth and Linda Woolverton working on the
screenplay.
After a brief Game of Thrones stint, Skrein's break out role came as the main villain in 2016's Deadpool. He will next be seen in Fox's tentpole for Alita: Battle Angel, playing (you guessed it) a villain. Skrerin also earned praise last year when he stepped aside from a role in the Hellboy reboot
to allow an actor of Asian descent to play the part of Major Ben
Daimio, who in the comic books is Asian. Daniel Dae Kim later stepped
into the role.
Skrein is repped by CAA and the U.K.'s 42.
Friday, March 16, 2018
With what looks like pre-viz / concept art on the walls.
Maleficent 2 has
set an April filming start date, with Angelina Jolie returning as the
movie’s namesake. It was previously reported that the Maleficent sequel could begin production by the first quarter of the new year, so the project appears to be moving along as expected.
It wasn’t previously clear when (and, to a degree, if) Jolie would be
reprising her role as the Disney ex-villain Maleficent on the big
screen. Jolie reportedly spent a significant chunk of last year debating
whether or not to work on the Dark Universe’s Bride of Frankenstein reboot before or after returning for Maleficent 2. However, following the troubled production and lukewarm reception of Tom Cruise’s The Mummy, the Dark Universe has seemingly fallen apart and Jolie is now free to start filming the Maleficent sequel in London in a few months. Omega Underground is reporting that Maleficent 2 has already entered pre-production and is scheduled to start filming April 16th. Production will take place in London, with Marco Polo and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales co-director Joachim Rønning at the helm. Patrick Tatopoulous (Batman vSuperman: Dawn of Justice)
has been added to the crew as production designer. The project is
expected to complete principal photography in about four months, around
the time that August rolls around.
Jolie initially credited her return to the film, and acting in
general, was due to her newfound role as the “breadwinner” of the family
after her separation from husband, Brad Pitt. All joking aside, Jolie
has expressed great excitement for the script written by Linda
Woolverton (who also penned the first Maleficent) and Spectre cowriter Jez Butterworth, promising Maleficent 2 will be a “really strong sequel.”
2013’s Oz The Great And Powerful kicked off a trend
of live-action fantasy films exploring the viewpoint of the villain in a
new light. In the film, Mila Kunis’s character is destined to become
the Wicked Witch of the West after suffering heartbreak and betrayal. Maleficent really brought the trope to prominence with Jolie’s masterful portrayal of the titular character. The film portrayed Sleeping Beauty‘s
Maleficent as an innocent woman taken advantage of by those around her,
resulting in the forceful loss of her wings (insert fallen angel
symbolism here), and propelling her to become the ultimate villain. The
unique spin on of Disney’s most well-known villains garnered a mixed to
positive critical reception, and the film grossed $758 million
worldwide. Maleficent 2 doesn’t have an official release date yet. We will let you know when that changes.
EXCLUSIVE: Joachim Rønning, who helmed Jerry Bruckheimer’s and Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, is in talks to direct another Disney tentpole franchise: the sequel to the studio’s 2014 worldwide box office hit Maleficent. Angelina Jolie confirmed to Deadline earlier this month that she was going to return as the lead character based on the nemesis first introduced in the studio’s 1959 fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. The project is expected to go before the cameras in the first quarter of 2018.
Jez Butterworth and Linda Woolverton had been working on the script
for producer Joe Roth, we’ve been told. Rønning has also been attached
to direct the screen version of Michael Crichton’s last novel Micro
for Amblin Entertainment and producer Frank Marshall; he is also
expected back on the next Pirates installment for Disney and
Bruckheimer. Rønning is also working with Bruckheimer writing and
attached to direct Origins, an original pitch that Paramount picked up pre-emptively. His brother Andreas is working with him on the script.
Rønning’s last outing Dead Men Tell No Tales ended up making $794.1M worldwide for the studio, dominating the Memorial Day weekend this year with a $69.2M opening weekend. Maleficent, which dropped during the same weekend three
years earlier broke records its opening weekend of $69.4M and went onto
to make $758.5M worldwide.
Jolie’s First They Killed My Father is
Cambodia’s submission this year for the Best Foreign Language Film
Oscar. The movie, both directed and co-written by Jolie, is about author
and human rights activist Loung Ung’s life under the rule of the deadly
Khmer Rouge. It premiered in Telluride and then went on to Toronto
where it won strong praise. The story is told through Ung’s eyes, from
the age of five, when the Khmer Rouge came to power.
Rønning is repped by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Jolie
is repped by UTA, Media Talent Group and Sloane, Offer, Weber &
Dern.
Joachim Ronning, who co-directed the most recent Pirates of the Caribbean installment, is in talks to direct the Maleficent sequel for Disney, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Angeline Jolie will return to star in the live-action take of the
famous animated villain, reprising her role from the 2014 hit that
grossed $758 million at the global box office. Robert Stromberg directed
the first installment, which also starred Elle Fanning in the film
centering on the Sleeping Beauty villain.
Joe Roth will produce, with Jez Butterworth and Linda Woolverton working on the screenplay.
Ronning first caught Hollywood's attention as the co-director of the Norwegian feature Kon-Tiki, which was nominated for the best foreign language Oscar in 2013. His first big English-language feature was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which earned $794 at the global box office.
The filmmaker is attached to a number of projects including a sci-fi feature Origin that would see him re-team with Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer. He is repped by UTA.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” helmer Joachim Ronning is in talks to direct Disney’s “Maleficent 2.” Angelina Jolie will return in the title role.
Joe Roth is producing, with Jez Butterworth and Linda Woolverton penning the latest draft.
It is unknown where this film will pick up following the first movie,
which was based on the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty.” The original
centered on an evil fairy who cursed an infant princess to eternal
sleep, only to realize the young girl was the only one who could save
the kingdom from its dangerous ruler. That film broke several box office
records on its way to making $758.5 million worldwide.
Production on the sequel is set to start in early 2018.
Ronning’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” installment grossed $794.6
million worldwide. He is still attached to direct Amblin Entertainment’s
adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel “Micro” and is also developing
the pitch “Origins” for Paramount.
He is repped by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
Friday, September 8, 2017
Random Fuzzy
It looks like she will start filming Maleficent 2 in Pinewood Studios in January.
They may take a short break after Ad Astra before heading to London.
Since its just four months away, Maleficent 2 must already have a director that, for whatever reason, they have not yet announced.
It's going to be an action film and Maleficent will kick ass.😈
Which means she should already be starting her training regimen so she will be in shape for the action scenes.
The award-winning
actress tells me her children had been schooled in a hut close to the
set of what she called her most personal film, First They Killed My
Father: A Daughter Of Cambodia Remembers.
The picture, which she
made for Netflix, is based on a memoir by Loung Ung, about how her
family was torn apart by the Khmer Rouge.
Loung was just six when
her parents and siblings were forced to flee their home after the
rebels introduced brutal measures that resulted in the deaths of more
than a million Cambodians.
It's a hard watch, and Jolie admits
her children were affected by the film-making because they had grown up
knowing Ung, who had become a friend of their mother's.
'They
know her, and they know her story. Two of the children worked in
production on the film. Loung is like an auntie to them,' Jolie tells me
when we speak during the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, where
First They Killed My Father was receiving its world premiere before
being shown in some cinemas in the U.S. and transmitted on Netflix from
next week.
Her brood — Shiloh, Maddox, Vivienne, Zahara, Pax and
Knox — who all carry the surname Jolie-Pitt (after her estranged husband
Brad Pitt), will also have a say in what project the Oscar-winner
tackles next.
'I want them to have a say — and they want to have a
say,' she says with a laugh. 'They like the idea of going to London, so
we are looking at the possibility of maybe doing Maleficent 2, perhaps
in January.
'They do like the idea of Mum doing something with
action. They want Mum to get herself together, and do some kick-ass.
It's been a while. My last action film was eight years ago,' she adds,
referring to the spy thriller Salt.
'It's up to them, because we all travel as a unit. I think they're leaning towards London, but we'll have to see.'
Thanks Pride&Joy
Monday, September 4, 2017
Random Fuzzy
Maleficent 2we'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.
