Last month, we brought you news of the casting of the “three neglectful and superficial pixie fairies” of Walt Disney Pictures’ flipside retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale titled Maleficent. Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter, Vera Drake), Lesley Manville (Another Year) and Juno Temple (The Dark Knight Rises, Atonement) are to play the characters that take care of Aurora (Elle Fanning) in a cottage in the woods.
Finally, we have our first look from Deadline at the statuesque Angelina Jolie as the title character as filming commences in London this month. Check out the shot of Jolie as the evil fairy, Maleficent, horns and all, and the official press release on the production below:
The Walt Disney Studios announced today that production began Wednesday, June 13th, on “Maleficent,” starring Academy Award®–winning actress Angelina Jolie.
Directed by two-time Oscar®-winning production designer Robert Stromberg (“Avatar,” “Alice in Wonderland”), in his directorial debut, and produced by Joe Roth, “Maleficent” is written by Linda Woolverton (“The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast”) and executive produced by Angelina Jolie, Don Hahn, Matt Smith and Palak Patel.
Co-starring in the film are Sharlto Copley (“District 9”), Elle Fanning (“Super 8”), Sam Riley (“On the Road”), Imelda Staunton (“Vera Drake”), Miranda Richardson (“The Hours”), Juno Temple (“Atonement”) and Lesley Manville (“Secrets & Lies”).
This is the untold story of Disney’s most beloved villain, Maleficent, from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty.” The film reveals the events that hardened her heart and drove her to curse the baby, Aurora.
Behind-the-scenes talent includes Academy Award®–winning cinematographer Dean Semler (“Dances with Wolves,” “In the Land of Blood and Honey”), production designer Gary Freeman (“Saving Private Ryan,” “The Bourne Supremacy”), two-time Oscar® nominated costume designer Anna B. Sheppard (“Schindler’s List,” “The Pianist”) and seven-time Academy Award–winning makeup artist Rick Baker (“Planet of the Apes,” “Men in Black”).
Maleficent is slated to hit theaters in 3D on March 14, 2014.
