Most of the talk surrounding Angelina Jolie recently has been about her directorial debut, In The Land Of Blood And Hone****y or her unusual leg pose at this year’s Oscars. But tucked away in Entertainment Weekly’s chat with her about both those topics is her excitement about getting to work on Disney’s new take on the Sleeping Beauty story, Maleficent.
According to Jolie, who laughs that her kids are very happy that she’s already got her horns fitted, the new film will explore more about Maleficent’s character than just her rage. “I hope in the end you see a woman who is capable of being many things, and just because she protects herself and is aggressive, it doesn’t mean she can’t have other warmer qualities. You have to figure out the puzzle of what she is.”
**Alice In Wonderland **screenwriter Linda Woolverton has penned the script for the movie, which Robert Stromberg will start shooting in June. Jolie is quick to stress that it doesn’t simply flip the Sleeping Beauty tale and make Aurora the villain. “It’s not anti-princess, but it’s the first time they’re looking at this epic woman. In general, it’s a very good message to say, “Let’s look at something from the other side.” But then also, what our challenge will be – and Linda Woolverton has already cracked it – is not to simplify it, not to just reverse the story but tell a bigger story that doesn’t point the finger at Princess Aurora either.”
For more from Jolie on this and a variety of topics, head to EW.