Along with the announcement that Disney‘s live-action retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story will begin shooting in June, it was also mentioned that Maleficent might have found its innocent, comatose princess. Elle Fanning is in talks to star as Aurora, opposite the eponymous villain, who will be played by Angelina Jolie. So, it’s happening? Yes, it’s happening.
While the casting is not official yet, the 13-year-old Fanning is on a bit of a hot streak following her roles in J.J. Abrams‘ Super 8, Cameron Crowe‘s We Bought a Zoo, and Sofia Coppola‘s 2010 movie, Somewhere. And considering Maleficent is a pre-quel of sorts — detailing the origins of the evil sorceress — Fanning seems to fit the bill as a younger Aurora than we were introduced to in the original animated movie.
The movie will shoot in London starting this June, and it’s being described as a “passion project” for Jolie. There has been talk about the actress joining this project since last summer (when Tim Burton was involved, and then wasn’t), and after making her directorial debut (In the Land of Blood and Honey) as well as her turns in the Kung Fu Panda movies, she said she was eager to do a live-action, family-friendly movie. Her kids have also been pushing for her to take the role, calling her “mom-elicent,” according to THR. But mostly, she said she was drawn to the script by Linda Woolverton, who also wrote Beauty and the Beast (the first animated movie to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar) and Alice in Wonderland, and co-wrote The Lion King. She also helped bring Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King to the Broadway stage, as well as Aida and Lestat.
Maleficent will be directed by Robert Stromberg, who was a production designer on Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, the upcoming Oz the Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi.
My question now is this: When can Angelina Jolie work with Sam Raimi? Because WHOA, that would be awesome.
(via The Hollywood Reporter)
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