/Film Previews 20 Minutes of 'Maleficent' [Video Blog] http://t.co/m51ml3dj4y
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) April 21, 2014

/film

/Film Previews 20 Minutes of ‘Maleficent’ [Video Blog]

Posted on Monday, April 21st, 2014 by Peter Sciretta

This weekend WonderCon took place in Anaheim California. Despite the fact that the Anaheim Convention Center is a few steps away from Disneyland, Disney decided not to have a presentation at the convention. Instead they launched a 20 minute preview of Maleficent in their theme park across the street. The preview is being shown in the Bugs Life Theater in Disney California Adventure theme park until June so all park visitor will have a chance to experience the magic complete with 4D effects. Germain Lussier and I are both card carrying members of the Disneyland annual passholder club, so after walking the show floor at WonderCon on Friday, we visited the park to take in the sneak preview. After the jump you can watch a video blog where we give our reaction to the Maleficent Preview footage, along with a brief written description of the footage screened.




Here is a description of the footage from Germain Lussier:

The first was a clip from the party for the birth of baby Aurora. Maleficent enters and curses the baby to fall into a deep sleep after her 16th birthday. The interesting thing in the subtext though, are the glances exchanged between she and the King, played by Sharlto Copely. It’s almost like these two used to be together. She makes him beg to save the child, which is when the provision is put in about true love’s kiss.

The second scene is Aurora walking in the woods. Maleficent casts a whimsical spell and gently floats her to a more secluded, darker section of the woods. The princess then wakes up to discover a lively, dark, but beautiful area that looks much like Pandora in Avatar. She and Maleficent exchange words about “being scared” like you’ve seen in the trailers, then the scene cuts.

Finally, the footage presentation ended with a basically trailer montage of huge epic battles, Maleficent flying around with wings and a big dragon.

The best part of seeing this footage at Disney’s California Adventure is the 4D experience. Things like specially timed lighting tricks, smoke, fire effects and more are usually reserved for familiar, old films or theme park rides. For all intensive purposes, this is a theme park ride. But it’s also a preview of an upcoming release. So it’s cool and rare to enjoy 4D effects on a movie that hasn’t been release yet.


See the original post with a few more photos taken in the park at /film




Random Thoughts

I have long come to the conclusion that online boards and comments sections including those on IMDb are toxic pits where ignorance, misinformation, and vituperative language predominate.  As such, they are a waste of time and I prefer not to have them in my consciousness.  There are a few movie writers/sites I follow and I find that they give me a more accurate and insightful view of films and the market.  I follow @stichkingdom and saw this exchange about a post on Maleficent.   Caveat emptor if you decide to check it out.

-- Fussy

@agetro_17 from 2012 but he hasn't posted anything until a day ago and it's just for Maleficent. His recent viewed movies are strange too
— Stitch Kingdom (@stitchkingdom) April 20, 2014

What to expect at Maleficent special preview screening at Disney's Hollywood Studios http://t.co/jYZlHvQgop

— The Disney Blog (@TheDisneyBlog) April 21, 2014

Disney Maleficent sneak peak shows one major scene and pieces of current trailer. Guests are given head piece band. pic.twitter.com/iRKUZrcHS2
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughing_place) April 18, 2014

Good size group gathering for the Maleficent sneak preview! #EvilIsComplicated pic.twitter.com/YxafWCjHKr
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughing_place) April 18, 2014

Sneak Preview of Disney Maleficent at Disney's Hollywood Studios pic.twitter.com/oVEIimeuEy
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughing_place) April 18, 2014

Seeing a @Maleficent sneak preview at @DCAToday with @GermainLussier and @rezalackey pic.twitter.com/lmWtQNdKZY
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) April 19, 2014

.@GermainLussier takes his work seriously, taking notes at Disneyland pic.twitter.com/APcQt6kuaf
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) April 19, 2014

Starting today, catch an extended sneak peek trailer of the upcoming movie, @Maleficent at Bug's Life Theater! pic.twitter.com/FMxdRlXc14
— Disneyland Today (@DisneylandToday) April 18, 2014

Exclusive Sneek Peek for annual passholders of Maleficent It looks amazing @DCAToday @DisneylandAP @DisneylandToday pic.twitter.com/IsEJQN7y39
— Daniel Manzo (@manzo425) April 18, 2014

the special ap maleficent preview just got me a thousand times more hyped for it! 😈 pic.twitter.com/Wmh0t7IgRT
— SARA LE (@saralarabaraa) April 18, 2014

Our coast-to-cost report on the preview of @Maleficent at Disney Parks http://t.co/5lklZd4MJj
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughing_place) April 20, 2014

Annual Passholders head into theater for sneak peek at #Maleficent in DCA. #EvilIsComplicated #disneylandresort pic.twitter.com/7a6BQ72cP8
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughing_place) April 18, 2014

#Maleficent preview event includes free horns. They're the same ones as were given at #D23Expo
— Shawn Marshall (@The_Con_Fluence) April 18, 2014

Line for #Maleficent is pretty short right now. Only a hundred or so deep as of now
— Shawn Marshall (@The_Con_Fluence) April 18, 2014

Into the darkness for #maleficent preview. As you enter the eerie version of "Once Upon a Dream" plays… http://t.co/mRGEjPls0y
— Shawn Marshall (@The_Con_Fluence) April 18, 2014

#Swag #Maleficent horns to wear pic.twitter.com/qiSb8oHOpw
— Shawn Marshall (@The_Con_Fluence) April 18, 2014

I've learned that the only way to see #Maleficent is in a 4-D theater surrounded by people w/horns. http://t.co/XB1FDeKoGA
— Shawn Marshall (@The_Con_Fluence) April 18, 2014

The 4-D #Maleficent preview has lead me to 3 non-spoilery conclusions I can share...
— Shawn Marshall (@The_Con_Fluence) April 18, 2014

1. Every moment of #Maleficent that doesn't feature Jolie on screen will be almost unbearable to watch
— Shawn Marshall (@The_Con_Fluence) April 18, 2014

2. Every moment of #Maleficent that features Jolie on screen will be arm flayingly amazing
— Shawn Marshall (@The_Con_Fluence) April 18, 2014

3. There needs to be more opportunities to see #Maleficent in 4-D because it's possibly the best use of 4-D I've seen
— Shawn Marshall (@The_Con_Fluence) April 18, 2014

We have seen the 3D sneak peek at #Maleficent in DCA. Will you? #EvilIsComplicated #disneylandresort #Disney pic.twitter.com/SRjOX0Rea0
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughing_place) April 18, 2014

Attention Annual Passholders: You can preview the 'Maleficent' sneak peek tonight from 6:30p - 10p. Details: http://t.co/yuDwFNetWg
— DisneylandLive (@DlandNewsLive) April 17, 2014

'Maleficent' Sneak Peek at Disney California Adventure

A special extended preview of the soon-to-be-released Walt Disney Studio's film, Maleficent, will begin playing to guests at Disney California Adventure in the Tough to be a Bug theater on Friday, April 18th. The preview will also play at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida.

The existing theater is set up for 3D and special '4D' effects, and if the previous extended previews which have played at DCA are any indication, then we should see some special effects for Maleficent as well.

Also, Annual Passholders can take advantage of an exclusive preview prior to launch.

Calling it now. Roger Deakins finally wins his Oscar for "Unbroken." pic.twitter.com/L4mRjzoPDa
— Kristopher Tapley (@kristapley) February 17, 2014

hitfix

Sochi Winter Olympics brings first trailer for Angelina Jolie's 'Unbroken'

The film is set for Christmas Day 2014

By Kristopher Tapley   Sunday, Feb 16, 2014 8:58 PM

Calling something "Oscar bait" can be fairly diminishing and suggest that artists don't have a certain purity at heart, but it's not always meant that way. Sometimes it just becomes obvious that an epic narrative that needed to be told on screen could be all lined up for year-end awards, because it has a certain spirit, a certain pedigree. Angelina Jolie's upcoming "Unbroken" is one such film, and Universal Pictures smartly tapped the on-going Sochi Winter Olympics to tease out a little bit of footage from the film, which only recently wrapped in Australia.

The film will tell the incredible true story of Olympian-turned-WWII POW Louis Zamperini and was a project that many filmmakers considered before Jolie stepped up to the plate to will it into being. An adaptation of Zamperini's book, the script alone is packed with Oscar-winning and -nominated writers, from the Coen brothers to Richard LaGravenese ("The Fisher King") to William Nicholson ("Gladiator," "Shadowlands").

Of course, sometimes these films don't pan out as awards season players. There's a long line of such aspirants, the fall of more than a few probably owed, in part, to early speculation such as this. But ask anyone with a passing interest in this which film looks like a potential Oscar hound a year in advance, "Unbroken" is sure to be top of mind.

Get a load of some footage from the film, featuring Roger Deakins' as-ever sterling photography, in the special Olympics clip.



EW
By Darren Franich on Feb 16, 2014 at 10:02PM
It makes sense that Angelina Jolie’s film Unbroken would unveil its first extended trailer during the Olympics. After all, the true-life protagonist of the film, Louis Zamperini, was an Olympic track star — before he joined the Air Force, crashed into the Pacific, and, well, experienced just a whole assortment of things. Whether or not you read the bestselling Laura Hillenbrand book, it’s a thrill to watch the video, which mixes clips from the film with an interview with Zamperini himself. Check it out.

I really think Angelina Jolie's Unbroken is going to be a film we should all be looking forward to: http://t.co/APuqqXywca
— Brad Brevet (@ropeofsilicon) February 17, 2014

The first footage from Angelina Jolie's Unbroken runs online: http://t.co/h1MkAcid9d
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) February 17, 2014

From the looks of this, Unbroken won’t scrub clean Zamperini’s earlier life, which, as the man himself admits, saw him as a “rotten” teenager. It’ll also have to encompass his fight for survival and captivity. With Garrett Hedlund, Domhnall Gleeson, Finn Wittrock and Jai Courtney in the cast and a script that's been worked on by Richard LaGravenese, William Nicholson and the Coen brothers at different points, this has all the makings of something both adventurous and potentially award-worthy. We’ll see for sure when the film arrives on December 25 in the US and January 16, 2015 over here.

New Olympics-themed trailer for Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken puts all those #SochiProblems in perspective http://t.co/2knrC2EAgg
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) February 17, 2014

by Joanna Robinson

While some Olympic promotional tie-ins might be a bit confusing (world class athletes and McNuggets??), the connection between Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken and the 2014 Sochi Games is as solid as Evgeni Plushenko’s right thigh. If you’re one of the very few people who didn’t read Laura Hillenbrand’s (Seabiscuit: An American Legend) runaway best-seller Unbroken, it tells the true story of an Olympic athlete, Louis “Louie” Zamperini, who, along with two fellow crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII. Puts all those #SochiProblems in perspective, doesn’t it?
The preview features some somber narration from Tom Brokaw and footage from the film intercut with an interview with the real-life Zamperini. The film stars Jack O’Connell as Zamperini and Domhnall Gleeson and Finn Wittrock as his downed companions. Directed by Angelina Jolie and co-written by Joel and Ethan Coen, Unbroken is sure to be a heavy-hitter during next year’s awards season. The book, written in Hildebrand’s irresistibly engaging style, has already been devoured by millions of book clubs and high school classes since it was published in 2010. Hillenbrand is, after all, the same author who made old time horse racing cool again. Unbroken opens Christmas Day, 2014.

An honor to be a part of this meaningful creation. #UNBROKEN RT @UnbrokenFilm Watch the 1st Look of former O… http://t.co/wQVWBdSgg0
— MIYAVI (@MIYAVI_OFFICIAL) February 17, 2014

Angelina Jolie's latest movie gets an outstanding and emotional first look http://t.co/gfPowk15VG
— HuffPostEnt (@HuffPostEnt) February 17, 2014

Olympics, plane crash, sharks - Awe-inspiring trailer for Angelina Jolie's Unbroken: http://t.co/yYCXvi9MGx pic.twitter.com/e5pcPudQAb
— ShortList Magazine (@ShortList) February 17, 2014

Press Release via Movieweb

The will to push through any obstacle, the drive to not give into defeat. These are the virtues that define the Olympic spirit. Universal Pictures is honored to introduce the epic drama Unbroken in a special Olympics Preview piece featuring former Olympian Louis Zamperini's miraculous journey of resilience. With new film footage, an interview with Louis and real footage and photos from his past, watch the Unbroken Olympics Preview narrated by Tom Brokaw.

Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie directs and produces Unbroken, an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis 'Louie' Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII-only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand's ("Seabiscuit: An American Legend") enormously popular book, Unbroken brings to the big screen Zamperini's unbelievable and inspiring true story about the resilient power of the human spirit.



.

NBC, which is airing the Sochi Olympics, and Universal, the studio behind Unbroken, are part of the same conglomerate.  Hence this perfectly timed and placed sneak peak with what sounds like a Tom Brokaw voice-over.  Angelina and her visual effects and editing teams must have worked overtime to get this out.

Unbroken

The will to push through any obstacle, the drive to not give into defeat. These are the virtues that define the Olympic spirit. Watch the first look of former Olympian Louis Zamperini's miraculous journey of resilience in one of the most inspirational stories ever known. Unbroken – in theaters this Christmas. ‪#‎UnbrokenMovie‬

Watch the Olympics Preview for Angelina Jolie's Unbroken http://t.co/ISEMjLK7pr
— ComingSoon.net (@comingsoonnet) February 16, 2014

Universal Pictures aired the first preview for director Angelina Jolie's Unbroken during the Olympics today and you can now watch the 3-minute preview using the player below.

Angelina Jolie's #unbrokenmovie looks appropriately epic. http://t.co/8FXA3tyGW8
— Samantha Miller (@smillerpeople) February 17, 2014

awardsdaily

By : Ryan Adams

Angelina Jolie directs it. Roger Deakins shoots it. The Olympics promote it. Universal releases it. At Christmas. ’nuff said.



 firstshowing
 by Alex Billington
 "To persevere, I think, is important for everybody. Don't give up, don't give in..." This actually looks damn good. In connection with the ongoing Winter Olympics, Universal (part of NBC) has debuted an extended 3-minute "preview" for the new Angelina Jolie-directed movie Unbroken. The story is actually about an Olympian, one Louis "Louie" Zamperini, played in this (once he's older) by Jack O'Connell, who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII—only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. This trailer plays like a full TV promo, with voiceover and the real Zamperini making an appearance, but it's effective. I'm hooked, I want to see it

The #Olympics preview of Angelina Jolie's #Unbroken looks good. (And smart of them to get Brokaw to narrate.) http://t.co/996rlTWG1f
— Philiana (@insidethetube) February 17, 2014

This looks amazing! "@Deadline: Angelina Jolie’s ‘Unbroken’ Previewed During Olympics: Video http://t.co/ii8bItMOmp”
— Luke Mitchell (@LukeMitchell__) February 16, 2014

Watch The First Footage From Angelina Jolie's WWII Drama Unbroken http://t.co/dXASpgyExP #movies
— cinemablend.com (@cinemablend) February 17, 2014

By Sean O'Connell
Tom Brokaw narrates the first clip from Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, a prestigious biopic of former Olympian and war hero Louis "Louie" Zamerpini (played by Jack O’Connell). The clip aired during NBC’s telecast of the Winter Olympics from Sochi on Sunday evening.

O’Connell stars as Zamperini, a one-time Olympic athlete who – along with two other soldiers – survived on a life raft for 47 days following a brutal plane crash during World War II. As if that wasn’t bad enough, when Zamperini and his castaways were picked up, they ended up being caught by the Japanese Navy and shipped to a prisoner-of-war camp. Chances are they don’t discover Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) at the bottom of a pit.

The clip, teased above (via Universal’s YouTube page), mixes footage from Jolie’s movie with photos and interviews with Zamperini, now 97 and looking like he could compete in this year’s Games. The studio teased images of Jolie posing with Zamperini, and a shot of the director in action on a water-bound set. We saw them a while ago, but are happy to share them agin, in case you missed them.

First Footage: 'Unbroken,' From Director Angelina Jolie and Cinematographer Roger Deakins http://t.co/JjD7UHqnex
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) February 17, 2014

sneak peek

photos
dailymail
us
geektyrant
ropeofsilicon

comicbookmovie

The Disney Channel has begun airing a sneak peek of Angelina Jolie's Maleficent, that features some brand new footage. Come see more of Disney's retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale.

Here's a new trailer for our #Disney film MALEFICENT starring #AngelinaJolie - with new footage never before seen! http://t.co/KSRu6ZSoxs
— Palak Patel (@palakspatel) January 20, 2014

.

DIS meet sneak peek

@disneyecho how come no one is tweeting about the 3 seconds of Maleficent that we saw at the #DisneyShareholderMeeting?!?!?
— Cheryl (@chroll) March 7, 2013

@disneyecho it was like a 3 second teaser during the opening video where they showed movie clips, DJR cartoon clips, EPSN & ABCNEWS clips
— Cheryl (@chroll) March 7, 2013

@disneyecho it looked like the scene at the beginning of the cartoon where she curses Aurora in the palace
— Cheryl (@chroll) March 7, 2013

@disneyecho I could see a crowd behind her, and she was dressed as Maleficent but no green face. She said something and grinned. Powerful!
— Cheryl (@chroll) March 7, 2013

@disneyecho it was short, but I went from "eh" to "I need to see that movie" and Im no Jolie fan at all
— Cheryl (@chroll) March 7, 2013

@disneyecho I was there. Ive been looking online to try to find a still or the video, but coming up empty so far.
— Cheryl (@chroll) March 7, 2013

@disneyecho that sucks. I saw pics of the castle right away, before D23 posted them, so I thought maybe someone snuck a camera in
— Cheryl (@chroll) March 7, 2013

Maleficent's Director is Robert Stromberg

Disney Sets Directors for 'Maleficent,' Mountain Adventure Movie

Robert Stromberg will direct the retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" from the perspective of the evil queen, while Brian Beletic will helm an untitled adventure movie about explorers in the Alps.

3:57 PM PST 1/6/2012 by Borys Kit 

Disney is hitting the ground running in 2012, hiring directors on two different projects in one day.

The studio has tapped Robert Stromberg, the production designer behind the billion-dollar grossing Avatar and Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, to direct Maleficent, the company’s live-action take on Sleeping Beauty. The project, which tells the fairy tale from the point of view of the evil witch who threatened to kill the princess, is being crafted with Angelina Jolie in mind, although the actress is not officially committed.

Tim Burton was loosely attached to direct Maleficent, written by Linda Woolverton and produced by Joe Roth, but he backed away last May; the studio had been trying to find their prince since.
UTA-repped Stromberg, who has won two Oscars for his work, has shown the studio his capabilities not only on Alice but on also on the studio’s upcoming tentpole, Oz: The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi. 

Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com
Twitter: @Borys_Kit

Robert Stromberg hired by Disney to direct Maleficent with Angelina Jolie

by: Jake Dee Jan. 6, 2012, HJoBlo

So, let's rerun this bitch. That's a no to Guillermo del Toro. No To David O. Russell. No to Darren Aronofsky. No from Tim Burton. And after 6 months of quiescence? Suddenly a yes to Robert Stromberg?
Deadline is reporting that yes, Robert Stromberg (seen right) has been hired to adapt a live action version of MALEFICENT for Disney. Lucky him, as he'll get to toss cues at the one and only Angelina Jolie, who has been saving a soft spot for this character for a few years now. This will mark the feature debut for of the award winning visual FX artist Stromberg, who, since 1987, has accrued more than 90 credits. He most recently won an Oscar for his work on ALICE IN WONDERLAND, which makes sense since Linda Woolverton wrote scripts for both ALICE and MALEFICENT...both for Disney.
So, while it's Stromberg's first directing gig, the studio is keeping it all in the family so to speak. Speaking of the script, it's more or less a live-action take on Sleeping Beauty, telling the fairy tale from the point of view of the evil witch (Maleficent) who threatened to kill the princess. Sounds like a fun role for Angie to play. Chick does sexy-evil like no one's business, imagine the subversion she'll bring to a family oriented Disney yarn. Cheeky f*ckin' vixen...I love it!

Nothing malefic here!

Disney Sets Robert Stromberg To Helm ‘Maleficent’

By MIKE FLEMING | Friday January 6, 2012 @ 2:05pm PSTTags: Angelina Jolie, Linda Woolverton, Maleficent, Robert Stromberg

 


EXCLUSIVE: Disney has tapped Robert Stromberg to make his feature directorial debut on Maleficent, the Linda Woolverton-scripted revisionist take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that is being constructed as a star vehicle for Angelina Jolie to play the villainess. While Stromberg is new to the director’s chair, he is no stranger to dealing with big-ticket spectacle films. He has been production designer on Avatar and Alice In Wonderland, and Disney’s upcoming Oz The Great And Powerful. He also worked on visual effects for such films as 2012, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End and Master And Commander. Joe Roth is producing.
This gives Disney feature heads Sean Bailey and Rich Ross another tentpole feature to complement the Marvel product, with A-list talent. Maleficent stacks up alongside Oz The Great And Powerful, and the Johnny Depp-starrer The Lone Ranger. Stromberg’s repped by UTA.

Friday, January 06, 2012

Angelina Jolie Bewitched By "Maleficent"

Screenwriter Linda Woolverton ("Alice In Wonderland") is tailoring her screenplay of Disney's developing "Maleficent" live-action feature (focusing on the 'evil fairy queen' of "Sleeping Beauty"), as a starring vehicle for actress Angelina Jolie.

According to Disney, Robert Stromberg, the Oscar winning Art Director of "Avatar" and "Alice In Wonderland" will direct.

In "Sleeping Beauty", 'Maleficent', (aka 'evil-doer') is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" who curses the infant 'Princess Aurora' to "prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die" before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, after not being invited to the baby's christening.

Often viewed as the most powerful and sinister of Disney's occult villains, Maleficent is an interpretation of the 'wicked fairy godmother' from the original "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale, appearing as a tall, slender, pale green skinned woman with a narrow face and prominent chin.

She also has yellow eyes and a horned headdress, symbolic of her dark magic, clad in a black and purple robe with bat wing-like edges.

Being an evil fairy, Maleficent can perform powerful spells, carrying a staff with a glowing green orb to transmit bolts of lightning. She is also capable of shape shifting at will into numerous forms, including a floating hypnotic light resembling a 'will-o'-the-wisp' and a massive, black and purple dragon.

Her minions are a legion of goblins and troll-like creatures, while frequently accompanied by her pet raven 'Diablo'.

Maleficent also appears as a major character/antagonist in the "Kingdom Hearts" video game series and a recurring character on the Disney TV series "House of Mouse".