Aside from a small role in The Three Musketeers, I’m not familiar with the on-screen work of actress Juno Temple. That’s about to change, though, since she’s appearing in one of the year’s most highly anticipated films, The Dark Knight Rises. Looks like we’ll all have the chance to get a bit more familiar with her work soon after that as well, since The Hollywood Reporter says the actress has signed on to play one of the three pixies who raise Princess Aurora in Robert Stromberg’s alternate take on the Sleeping Beauty story, Maleficent.

Angelina Jolie is playing the title character, and the story is being told from her perspective. Elle Fanning has secured the role of Princess Aurora, and District 9 star Sharlto Copley will play “Stefan, the half-human and half-fairy bastard son of the human king.”

Temple will play Thistletwit and, along with fellow actresses Imelda Staunton and Lesley Manville, rounds out the three fairies who attempt to hide Aurora from Maleficent by raising her in a cottage in the woods. The fairies are described as being “neglectful and superficial.”

We’ve got a lot of waiting to do for this project, though: Disney recently announced a March 14th, 2014 release date for the live-action fairy tale.

Read similar posts to Juno Temple to play pixie opposite Angelina Jolie in Maleficent on Filmonic

Filming starts in about a month on The Counselor, director Ridley Scott’s follow-up to Prometheus. It’s a project that’s pretty far removed from the sci-fi action flick; written by Cormac McCarthy, this one is about a lawyer who gets involved in the drug trade in the American Southwest, only to get in over his head. There have been some big names dancing around this movie for a long time, and now one of the biggest has her eye on a tiny part. Vulture reports Angelina Jolie is looking to fit a small role into her busy schedule.

Jolie would essentially have a cameo role, starring opposite Michael Fassbender and potentially either Javier Bardem, Jeremy Renner, or even her longtime lover Brad Pitt. No word on what specific part she’ll play, but she’s not one of the most famous actresses in the world for no reason; the woman’s got talent to spare, and even if she’s only got one scene in the movie, it’ll be notable for her to work with Ridley Scott for the first time.

The actress starts filming Maleficent in June or July, so there would barely be enough time in there for her to squeeze in The Counselor before cameras roll on Robert Stromberg’s Disney film. Maleficent just got a March 14, 2014 release date, so we’ll be seeing the actress donning those iconic horns in the not too distant future.

Read similar posts to Angelina Jolie eyes small role in Ridley Scott’s The Counselor on Filmonic

About a month ago we learned that Maleficent, the alternate perspective Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, will be Angelina Jolie’s next film. Disney has hired Robert Stromberg to direct the movie, and now Twitch reports that they may have found their Princess Aurora in Super 8 star Elle Fanning.

There’s no further information in the report, so we’re left to speculate: is Sleeping Beauty going to be a punk kid in this version, painting Maleficent in a more positive light? Or is the powerful sorceress going to stay evil, and the film will be told from her perspective anyway? Only time will tell, but I think Fanning is as solid a choice as any for a young actress to face off against one of the most famous women in the world. Thoughts?

Read similar posts to Elle Fanning reportedly in talks for Maleficent opposite Angelina Jolie on Filmonic

Last year we heard that Angelina Jolie’s next movie would be an untitled Luc Besson thriller set up at Universal. However last month Disney hired Robert Stromberg to direct Maleficent, a live-action take on the wicked fairy godmother who cast the original spell on Sleeping Beauty, and now Jolie has confirmed that will be her next project instead.

From THR:

Jolie, speaking at a crowded news conference Saturday at the Berlin International Film Festival, where her feature directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey is screening out of competition, brought up the project — without directly mentioning a title — when asked about the next step in her career.

“I haven’t acted in two years, and I haven’t done anything else since this [Land of Blood and Honey]. The next thing I am looking at is a Disney movie,” said the actress

Jolie has previously expressed her enthusiasm for the Maleficent script, which has been written by Alice in Wonderland screenwriter Linda Woolverton. While Robert Stromberg hasn’t direct a movie before, he served as production designer on Avatar, Alice in Wonderland and Sam Raimi’s upcoming Oz: The Great and Powerful. Stromberg has also worked on visual effects for such films as 2012, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Master and Commander.

Disney is aiming to begin shooting Maleficent sometime this year, so Luc Besson’s thriller will have to wait.

Read similar posts to Disney’s Maleficent will be Angelina Jolie’s next movie on Filmonic

According to Deadline Disney has hired Robert Stromberg to direct Maleficent, a live-action take on the wicked fairy godmother who cast the original spell on Sleeping Beauty.

Tim Burton was originally intending to direct, having hired his Alice in Wonderland screenwriter Linda Woolverton to write the script, but in the end he decided against it. Names such as The Fighter director David O. Russell, Harry Potter director David Yates, and Black Swan‘s Darren Aronofsky were been mentioned here and there, but Stromberg now has the gig.

While he hasn’t direct a movie before, he served as production designer on Avatar, Alice in Wonderland and Sam Raimi’s upcoming Oz: The Great and Powerful. Stromberg has also worked on visual effects for such films as 2012, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Master and Commander.

Angelina Jolie is attached to star as Maleficent, but filming may not begin for some time as she will next shoot “a dramatic thriller that is rooted in true scientific elements” with Luc Besson (The Professional), and then plans to team up with Ridley Scott for an historical epic about Gertrude Bell, an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who became an influential figure in Middle East politics during the run-up to WWI.

Read similar posts to Robert Stromberg to direct Disney’s Maleficent on Filmonic

Angelina Jolie’s directorial and screenwriting debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, hits limited screens in a few weeks, but people have been wondering when Jolie will next be seen in-front of the camera. Disney’s Maleficent, Sony’s Cleopatra epic, and a potential Salt sequel have all had movement over recent months, but it looks like Jolie’s next film will be a thriller with Luc Besson.

According to Deadline Universal has acquired 80% of the worldwide distribution rights for the movie, which is being described as “a dramatic thriller that is rooted in true scientific elements”. Luc Besson (The Professional, La Femme Nikita and The Fifth Element) has written the script and will direct, and filming is set to begin next April.

Following this Jolie is expected to team with Ridley Scott for a historical epic about Gertrude Bell, an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who became an influential figure in Middle East politics during the run-up to WWI. The Constant Gardener writer Jeffrey Caine is currently rewriting the script.

With Jolie now a director it will only increase the amount of projects she has in the pipeline, but at least they will keep her busy for the foreseeable future.

Read similar posts to Universal lands Angelina Jolie/Luc Besson thriller on Filmonic

According to Variety Eric Roth, writer of Ali, Munich and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, is in talks to write the script for Sony’s Cleopatra.

Angelina Jolie is still attached to play the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, and The Social Network‘s David Fincher is still in the frame to direct.

Producer Scott Rudin said this new take, an adaptation of the Stacy Schiff book Cleopatra: A Life, will be “a much more grown-up sophisticated version” than previous Hollywood efforts:

“She’s not a sex kitten, she’s a politician, strategist, warrior. In the Joseph Mankiewicz movie, Elizabeth Taylor is a seductress, but the histories of Cleopatra have been written by men. This is the first to be written by a woman. It felt like such a blow-the-doors-off-the-hinges idea of how to tell it, impossible to resist.

Like most historical epics, the movie won’t be cheap, but Jolie has proven time and time again that she is a box office draw with The Tourist and Salt making $278 and $293 million worldwide last year. Add an Oscar winning screenwriter and frequent nominee David Fincher into the mix and Sony should have a success project on their hands.

No news on when filming will begin, but Roth will apparently begin writing within the next several weeks so there could be movement sometime next year.

Read similar posts to Eric Roth will take on Cleopatra on Filmonic

In a few years Angelina Jolie will reach the grand age of 40, which is often the age actresses see a decline in the quality and quantity of roles in an industry which worships at the alter of youth. Luckily for Angelina Jolie she’s the only actress studios will put $100m+ behind (Salt), and her upcoming projects (Cleopatra, Maleficent) indicate she’ll be in demand for a while.

To ensure longevity actors have often turned to directing (George Clooney, Clint Eastwood, Ben Affleck), and Angelina Jolie is aiming to do the same with her directorial debut In The Land of Blood and Honey.

The film, which Jolie also wrote, is a romantic drama about the troubled relationship between a Muslim woman and a Serbian man in the midst of the Bosnian war. Jolie said she wanted to “tell a story of how human relationships and behavior are deeply affected by living inside a war”.

You can watch the impressive trailer (via The Playlist) below:

It’s too early to tell whether In The Land of Blood and Honey has a shot during the upcoming awards season, but it has an Oscar-friendly release date of December 23rd with FilmDistrict distributing. It would stand to make more at the box office if Jolie starred in it herself, but I think Jolie is just trying to prove she can direct (and from the trailer it looks like she can).

Read similar posts to First trailer for Angelina Jolie’s In The Land of Blood and Honey on Filmonic

Since Alice and Wonderland made $1 billion last year producer Joe Roth has become involved with many new fairy-tale adaptations. He’s producing Snow White and the Huntsman with Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron for Universal, Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful with James Franco and Mila Kunis, and in March he came on-board as producer for a new version of Peter Pan with Channing Tatum.

Now according to Deadline Roth is in talks to produce Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent, a live-action take on the wicked fairy godmother who cast the original spell on Sleeping Beauty.

Tim Burton was originally intending to direct, having hired his Alice in Wonderland screenwriter Linda Woolverton to write the script, but in the end he decided against it and Disney has since been searching for a director. Names such as The Fighter director David O. Russell, Harry Potter director David Yates, and Black Swan‘s Darren Aronofsky have been mentioned here and there, but none have been confirmed.

With Joe Roth coming on-board to produce the project is clearly a priority for Disney, so a director will likely be found soon. Disney won’t want to keep Angelina Jolie waiting.

Read similar posts to Joe Roth will produce Maleficent for Disney on Filmonic

Since Tim Burton decided against directing Angelina Jolie in Disney’s Maleficent, a live-action take on the wicked fairy godmother who cast the original spell on Sleeping Beauty, a number of potential directors have mentioned as a replacement.

First there was Harry Potter director David Yates, then Darren Aronofsky, and last week The Fighter director David O. Russell was said to be circling the project. However one director Disney hasn’t approached, who “would love to” direct, is Guillermo del Toro.

From Hero Complex:

“Let me put it this way, if they ask I’ll take the meeting,” Del Toro said, speaking by phone from Toronto. “I think Maleficent’s dragon is the only design with the wings separate from the front legs, the only time that design has ever worked. And let me tell you how much of a fan I am. I have a collection of over two or three dozen Maleficent figures, some of them four or five feet tall. I own about 10 pieces of conceptual art from ‘Sleeping Beauty’ that include the dragon and a lot more pieces that are just from ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ It’s one of my three favorite Disney films. I would love to. But I don’t want to put too many hopes on it. They’re probably on a fast track and I cannot take any more projects on a fast track. “

del Toro was close to making a movie featuring a dragon when he was attached to direct The Hobbit, but as we know that wasn’t meant to be. The director is currently working on his epic monster movie Pacific Rim which has already entered pre-production, and is aiming to begin principal photography later this year for a summer 2013 release.

If Disney wanted del Toro (why wouldn’t they?) Maleficent would be unlikely to move forward until 2013, so the chances are the studio will find a director who isn’t booked up for the next two years. It’s a shame though, as Guillermo del Toro’s take on Maleficent would definitely be worth the wait.

Read similar posts to Guillermo del Toro ‘would love to’ direct Maleficent on Filmonic