With Snow White and the Huntsman being the first of several remade fairytales to have some sort of success at the box office, filmmakers and production companies are looking to continue the trend. Most of the classic Disney stories that hit theaters nearly 10-20 years ago are currently receiving the Hollywood treatment. Tinseltown is merely grasping at whatever was once popular, throwing it at audiences and seeing what sticks. Films such as Red Ridding Hood, Mirror, Mirror prove that not everyone is up to change — don’t fix what isn’t broken. And then there’s films such as Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Rupert Sanders’ Snow White and the Huntsman that prove if done right, the darker take could breathe new life into the characters and story.
The Story from the Other Side
The next popular Disney animation turned live action film? Maleficent. The story will be a prequel to the 1959 Disney classic Sleeping Beauty, but instead of focusing on Aurora and the Prince, the filmmakers will aim to tell the story from Maleficent’s point of view; the hit Broadway musical Wicked used the same treatment, instead of telling the same story from Dorothy’s POV we learn more about Elphaba’s life. Snow White and the Huntsman leaned towards this same style of storytelling, but didn’t fully commit, which could’ve aided in the film’s somewhat less-than-sastisfactory performance.
Angelina Jolie as Maleficent & The Plot
In celebration of Maleficent finally undergoing its production phase, Disney revealed the first image of Angelina Jolie as the evil sorceress. The mother of six fits the role with uncanny accuracy. The exaggerated cheekbones, the fuller-than-normal red lips, and the horns protruding from Jolie’s head give way to the film’s dark and striking detail to one of Disney’s ultimate villains.
The script, penned by Linda Woolverton deals with a conflict between humans and fairies, and Aurora, played by Elle Fanning (Super 8), becomes an important piece to the puzzle. Juno Temple (The Dark Knight Rises), Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter franchise), and Lesley Manville (Secrets and Lies) play the three fairies who give Aurora a helping hand. Sharlto Copley plays Aurora’s royal father Stefan, who is the half-human and half-fairy bastard son of the king played by Kenneth Cranham. Miranda Richardson plays Ulla, the fairy queen who is also Maleficent’s aunt. Sam Riley will play the sorceress’s close ally, Diaval who has the ability to take the form of a raven.
Robert Stromberg will direct the film, which once had Tim Burton in the director’s chair. In fact, Burton’s presence will still be felt as several key players from Alice in the Wonderland are now involved with the film. Nonetheless, the script is said to be impressive, and with a strong lead and supporting cast, Maleficent could very well spin off another wave of live action films. Maleficent hits theaters March 14th, 2014.
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