First image of Angelina Jolie as Maleficent marks the start of the film's production

First image of Angelina Jolie as Maleficent marks the start of the film’s production

June 19th 2012, 11:56am

Production has just begun on Disney’s re-imagining of SLEEPING BEAUTY entitled MALEFICENT, which focuses on the dark queen’s perspective and how she came to become evil, cursing the baby Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty.

Get cursed:

Looks pretty cool to me. I’m happy to see Jolie back in something commercial as she’s been under the radar since the disappointing THE TOURIST. This looks like a good comeback vehicle, even if it’s a while away.

Here’s the press release from Disney:

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 scheduled for a March 14, 2014 release in 3D.