Joachim Rønning to direct Angelina Jolie in Maleficent 2
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- Published on Saturday, 05 May 2018 16:19
- Written by Coming soon
Deadline is reporting that Walt Disney Pictures‘ Maleficent sequel has finally scored a director in Joachim Rønning, one half of the Norwegian directing duo (alongside Espen Sandberg) that made this past summer’s blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which earned nearly $800 million worldwide. He is also being eyed to helm a potential sixth Pirates movie.Despite rumors that she will star in Universal’s Bride of Frankenstein, Angeline Jolie is committed to make the Maleficent sequel the next film on her dance card, with filming expected to start in the first quarter of 2018. “I am now the breadwinner for the family, so it’s time,” she said previously. “We have been working on the script and this is going to be a really strong sequel.” Released in May of 2014, Maleficent earned an impressive $758.5 million worldwide on a budget of $180 million. The film was directed by Robert Stromberg and tells the previously-untold story of the iconic villain from Disney’s 1959 animated classic, Sleeping Beauty. A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal, an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom, and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.The original action adventure also stars Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.
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Denis Villeneuve Might Direct Angelina Jolie’s Cleopatra Movie
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- Published on Friday, 29 September 2017 11:33
- Written by Film School Rejects
From 2049 to Ancient Egypt? It could happen.Does Denis Villeneuve ever take breaks? Does he need some time off at all? His career has skyrocketed since the release of his first English-language film, Prisoners, and it’s staying in the clouds for a bit. Villeneuve is now in talks to direct a Cleopatra film for Sony. This news of a possible fresh venture nicely follows up the positive buzz his latest studio film, Blade Runner 2049, has been getting a week before release.The Cleopatra film has a screenplay by David Scarpa, adapted from Stacy Schiff’s best-selling book “Cleopatra: A Life,” and will hopefully hold true to the book’s depiction of the iconic ruler of Ancient Egypt a shrewd, formidable and authoritative.Women lead the narratives of a few of Villeneuve’s features. It’s a little finicky with a film like Sicario, which received a polarized response to its portrayal of protagonist Kate Macer (Emily Blunt). The soundbite that caught everyone’s attention revealed that producers tried to have her rewritten as a man.There are obviously glowing reviews out there — FSR’s stance being mostly positive, too. But that polarity regarding Kate’s characterization has merit: is she a force of reason and the audience surrogate — someone who is simply up against bull-headed forces of male violence? Or is her inaction a result of a perceived lack of strength in the character? It’s hard to see Kate as being the protagonist anyway when the sequel won’t even feature her.Arrival exists in beautiful contrast to the nihilistic suffocation of Sicario. A far more straightforward piece in that regard, we can easily root for Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams). Where Sicario is all doom-and-gloom, Arrival is much-needed hope and optimism. It’s a loving portrait against the violence of men as opposed to any kind of glorification of it, and it truly is Louise’s role to save the day.“Kinetic, awe-inspiring, and intimate,” Arrival speaks volumes of a kind of acumen the film displays. It is a love letter to humanity without sugarcoating people’s perceived realities when they come face-to-face with something they don’t understand. The film takes audiences through its narrative as slowly and lavishly as possible, because learning a new language and learning to understand a new culture requires that patience.
If Villeneuve is to tackle a Cleopatra film, it needs to be more Arrival than Sicario. It’s great that Villeneuve at least knows how to handle both from a technical viewpoint. However, this film has been gestating at Sony for a long time — going through directors like Ang Lee, David Fincher, and James Cameron.The studio would want to bank on the market for films featuring “strong women” (alas forever bound by quotation marks due to varying interpretations of the phrase). Sony has so much riding on this being an adaptation of an iconic historical figure, and it’s easy to be a skeptic.There are also other concerns to level at the production, which of course hasn’t yet secured Villeneuve as director. Will they cast appropriately with so much money riding on the project (Angelina Jolie says she’s still a possibility)? Despite constant pressure to do so, Hollywood execs have proven time and time again that they simply aren’t interested most of the time.Apparently, it’s up to actors to step up and do the work instead. For once, it’d be great if the industry preempted everyone’s disdain for whitewashing and you know, listened to us.Also… female director? Did anyone think of that?Either way, Villeneuve has his hands full with two other adaptations as it is. He’s helming a film based on Jo Nesbø’s crime novel, The Son, as well as another sci-fi movie, Dune. A Cleopatra film would be an excellent addition to his resume, but as it stands, he has enough on his plate to keep him busy.
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The ‘Tomb Raider’ Trailer Is Here And We Already Miss Angelina Jolie
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- Published on Friday, 22 September 2017 06:17
- Written by Huffington post
So exactly like the “Tomb Raider” video game then, yeah? The trailer for the latest attempt to bring heroine Lara Croft to the big screen dropped Tuesday night. Gone is star Alicia Vikander’s strangely elongated neck, but here to stay are all the tired video game cliches.Hollywood apparently hasn’t learned much from the poorly received film adaptations “Assassin’s Creed” and “Prince of Persia,” because the trailer borrows a bit too heavily from the modern series of video games, which follow a young Lara Croft after she gets stranded on a dangerous isle.The first look at the reboot is practically a shot-for-shot remake of some of the more thrilling moments from the critically acclaimed video game, as Vikander’s Croft survives a shipwreck, wields a makeshift bow and arrow, picks off bad guys and leaps across a ruined airplane.The Swedish actress certainly seems up for the task ― she trained extensively for the role beforehand ― but here’s hoping the dialogue is better than it sounds, because “The Cradle of Life” is looking like a full-blown masterpiece right about now. “Tomb Raider” hits theaters on March 16.
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Angelina Jolie condemns Myanmar violence
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- Published on Wednesday, 20 September 2017 06:27
- Written by ABC News
The Latest on the violence in Myanmar and the exodus of Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh (all times local):Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has condemned the violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and called on the country's government and its leader, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi, to no longer remain silent.Jolie on Sunday told weekly Welt am Sonntag: "It's absolutely clear that the violence by the army needs to stop and that the return of the refugees has to be permitted — and that the Rohingya should be given civil rights."Jolie added: "We all wish that Aung San Suu Kyi will in this situation be the voice of human rights." Suu Kyi has been harshly criticized for not condemning the violence.Rohingya have faced decades of persecution by the majority Buddhist population in Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship. The current crisis that has led more than 400,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh in the past three weeks.
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Cambodia selects Angelina Jolie film as its Oscar submission
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- Published on Tuesday, 19 September 2017 06:51
- Written by WJLA
Angelina Jolie's "First They Killed My Father" has been named Cambodia's foreign-language submission to the Academy Awards.The Cambodia Oscar Selection Committee announced the choice Monday, calling Jolie's Cambodian genocide drama "cathartic" and hailing it for bringing back memories "often best forgotten."Jolie directed the adaptation of Loung Ung's memoir about her childhood during the Khmer Rouge's bloody reign. She shot it in Cambodia with a local cast.Jolie, whose eldest son, Maddox, was born in Cambodia, has been a citizen of Cambodia since 2005. In an interview with The Associated Press, Jolie said she made the film to "help a country to speak."Jolie's 2011 Bosnian War drama, "In the Land of Blood and Honey," was also nominated for best foreign-language film by the Golden Globes.
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