Angelina Jolie's Bride of Frankenstein remake is still in the works at Universal after years of development

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Published on Wednesday, 12 February 2020 19:19

Written by Daily mail

            While there hasn't been any movement on the project in quite some time, Angelina Jolie's Bride of Frankenstein reboot is still in the mix at Universal Studios.Angelina Jolie has been attached to star for several years, and while there have been no developments of late, Variety reports the studio is still working on the project.The report reveals that producer Amy Pascal and The Quiet Place director/star John Krasinski have been 'quietly' exploring ways to reimagine the property.The original Bride of Frankenstein debuted in 1935, starring Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster, Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein and Elsa Lanchester as the title character.Bride of Frankenstein is considered to be one of the greatest sequels of all time, with some even contending the sequel is better than the original.The original was not only a popular hit at the box office, grossing nearly twice its budget, it was recognized years later for its cultural significance.The film was selected in 1998 for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry, deemed, 'culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.'Universal has tried to reboot the film several times over the years, though none of their attempts lead to a finished film yet. Universal first brought on American Splendor writers Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman to write a Bride of Frankenstein remake early in the 21st Century.Nearly a decade later, Neil Burger (The Illusionist) was brought on to direct in 2019, with producer Brian Grazer overseeing the remake.The project remained stagnant for years until 2015 when David Koepp (Jurassic Park) was attached to write the script. It was then announced in May 2017 that a Bride of Frankenstein reboot would be part of Universal's now-defunct Dark Universe horror franchise.Jolie was attached as the Bride, with Javier Bardem as Frankenstein's monster, with Bill Condon set to direct.Now a new rendition is moving forward under a new studio mandate to create edgier and cost-efficient fare, which could mean Bride of Frankenstein may be happening sooner than you think.Producer Amy Pascal has brought back David Koepp to work on the script as well, but nothing official has been set by Universal at this time.

 source : Daily mail

Why Angelina Jolie Isn't at the 2020 Oscars

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Published on Tuesday, 11 February 2020 11:17

Written by Elle

            Her project Maleficent was nominated. Angelina Jolie hasn't been out for any award shows this season, but there was speculation that could change at tonight's Oscars because her big project Maleficent 2 has a nomination. It didn't; Jolie was not seen at the ceremony.Maleficent 2 has a Best Makeup and Hairstyling nod, with the Academy recognizing Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten, and David White.There's a slim, slim chance Jolie could still come out later for one of the night's many after parties. It's not a high probability, though: Jolie last attended the Oscars in 2014 with ex-husband Brad Pitt, and she has not been photographed at any major Academy Awards after parties in years.Jolie has also been out of the country, shooting The Eternals in London. With no personal nomination, a film project abroad, and an evening where her ex will be front and center, Jolie understandably opted out of the festivities.Pitt is considered a frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor tonight. He has been at every awards ceremony except the BAFTAs last weekend because he was dealing with family obligations.Jolie spoke back in October about how her split from Pitt changed her. “I do not know about destiny, but I’m certain that I’m in transition, and this is a homecoming, I’m coming back to myself. Because I was a little lost," she said, in a French interview translated into English. “I think it was at the end of my relationship with Brad and then when we separated. It was complicated, I didn’t recognize myself anymore, and I’d become, how do I say this, smaller, insignificant, even if I didn’t show it. I was profoundly, deeply sad, I was hurt. On the other hand, it was interesting to tap into this humility and sense of insignificance. In the end, that’s human. And on top of that, I was dealing with some health issues. All of these things ground you and remind you of how lucky you are to be alive. It’s a lesson I pass onto my children: the idea of renewal, and through it all, the possibility of joy. I had to rediscover the joy.”

 source : Elle

Angelina Jolie Combines Her Two Real-Life Passions in ‘Come Away’

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Published on Monday, 10 February 2020 11:51

Written by Cheat Sheet

         In her real life, Angelina Jolie has demonstrated and spoken about her love of children. She adopted three of her six children and is an advocate for children in vulnerable regions. So it is surprising that Come Away is the first movie that really combines her real life interests in children and dealing with crisis.Jolie has made movies about real life-crises like Beyond Borders, A Mighty Heart, In the Land of Blood and Honey and Unbroken, but her only movie with children is really Maleficent, and that’s pretty far from being a mother. Come Away premiered at Sundance so here’s a preview of what you can expect when it finally comes out.Angelina Jolie plays a great mother in ‘Come Away’.In 19th century England, Rose Littleton (Jolie) is married to Jack (David Oyelowo). Their kids Peter (Jordan A. Nash), Alice (Keira Chansa) and David (Reece Yates) play together in the woods. When they play intense pirate battles with real swords, it causes genuine anxiety that someone could cut someone else in half like Walk Hard. Then they use spears and arrows.Jack is struggling financially and Rose defends Alice from a society that wants her to fit in a traditional female “role”. The kids periodically escape into fantasy worlds resembling Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. This isn’t a “prequel” like Finding Neverland. It’s just a period piece suggesting what could have inspired the stories. Angelina Jolie protects her family.The Littleton family is going through hardships. They suffer a tragedy, and that doesn’t stop the debt collectors from coming after Jack. In the good times, Rose is playful with the kids.
         She even makes faces at them when the other adults aren’t looking.olie also portrays the turmoil of the hardships befalling Rose’s children. Those can be physical or psychological, and she empowers them to be themselves, even when society wants them to be complacent. It’s also progressive to see a mixed family celebrated in a historical fantasy drama. There are many problems facing the Littletons, but racism is never one of them. Fantasies ‘Come Away’ to life.Most of the times the fantasy spills into the kids’ lives, it’s real people, not CGI or magical creatures like in A Monster Calls or Pan’s Labyrinth. When they play pirate fights, your’e watching kids swordfight real stuntmen. There are some visual effects, perhaps more so in the Alice in Wonderland homages. There is also some animation when Jack’s carved drawings on his desk come to life. The Littleton kids’ adventures aren’t limited to their fantasies either. They embark on missions to save their family, and deal with other adults who are wild characters inspired by J.M. Barrie or Lewis Carroll. The purpose of the fantasy seems to be that the kids want to help their parents, but maybe they don’t have to yet. You might not agree with that thesis, but Come Away is a lovely family drama and fantasy for exploring it. One ought to at least appreciate that it’s a different perspective than other movies about the power of fantasy. Come Away doesn’t say that fantasy is better or that it fixes anything, but it is worthwhile.

 source : Cheat Sheet

For Maleficent 2's Director, Working With Jolie & Pfeiffer Was a 'Privilege'

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Published on Sunday, 19 January 2020 10:00

Written by CBR

          The 2014 blockbuster Maleficent kicked off a slate of live-action remakes of Disney's animated classics with its retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the iconic antagonist, portrayed more sympathetically by Angelina Jolie. In the 2019 sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which arrives today on Blu-ray and DVD, the title character again confronts a threat to the magical forest realm, this time from the power-hungry Queen Ingrith, played by Michelle Pfeiffer.Ahead of the film's home release, director Joachim Rønning spoke with CBR about joining the Disney franchise, working with stars of the caliber of Jolie and Pfeiffer.The 2014 blockbuster Maleficent kicked off a slate of live-action remakes of Disney's animated classics with its retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the iconic antagonist, portrayed more sympathetically by Angelina Jolie. In the 2019 sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which arrives today on Blu-ray and DVD, the title character again confronts a threat to the magical forest realm, this time from the power-hungry Queen Ingrith, played by Michelle Pfeiffer.Ahead of the film's home release, director Joachim Rønning spoke with CBR about joining the Disney franchise, working with stars of the caliber of Jolie and Pfeiffer.To that end, Rønning decided to look further inward into the characters, even as the world around them continued to grow."It became very important for me to further explore the origin story of Maleficent and where she's coming from, as well as the journey of Aurora and Maleficent," he said. "Their relationship is the emotional core of the story and the most important thing for me. This is a fantastical fairy-tale with magical creatures, but that stuff's not as important to me. That's not what draws me into this. What draws me into this is the relationships between the characters in the story and the characters themselves."Rønning ended up finding a personal connection to the narrative and the characters. "For me, I have two daughters, I am a parent," he said. "I think that story about Maleficent and Aurora and seeing their journey together, and how they develop and how Aurora is growing up into a woman and wanting to leave her mother behind... which is very natural and find her own way. For every parent, myself included, you kind of dread that day. You're not the most important person in their life anymore. And that was what really drew me into this." That informed one of the most memorable sequences in the film: the tense dinner between the families of betrothed Aurora and Phillip. Maleficent attempts to appease her surrogate daughter's future in-laws, and even hides her horns.
          "As you always do when you're trying to please a child as much as you can -- in this case, she tries to change her character, to be more human," Rønning said. "And she goes to the dinner and of course, it all backfires. At the end of the day, that's where I see myself, and the emotional core of the story." That throughline was a key part of the story within Ingrith as well. The mother of Prince Phillip, she's eventually revealed to have dark plans for the magical beings of the world. But, as Rønning explained, "She's also a parent. It is is a story about two parents in a way, doing what they believe in, in order to protect their child. I think with Michelle Pfeiffer, it was a very interesting process with her because she's the villain of the story on one side, but on the other side she needs come across as a loving mother for her son. That needs to be plausible, too, so it was a tricky balance."Working with two of the most famous actresses in the world, Rønning explained that, "[Pfeiffer] is so amazing, and you have that dinner scene between Maleficent and Ingrith. There are very few actors in the world that can go up against Maleficent like Michelle Pfeiffer did ... Those were fun days. As a director, it's such a privilege. It was daunting when you go in there, and these actors have been in some of your favorite movies of all time and at some point worked with some of the best directors in the world. So, of course, you stand there and pinch your arm a little bit, but at the end of the day, it's such a privilege and luxury to be working with such talent. Because that's what they are, huge talents. That's why [Jolie and Pfeiffer] are huge stars, they're amazing as actors. You put the cameras on them and start rolling, and it's like being at the movies. I sit behind my monitor and I see them coming to life right there, and you feel so lucky as a filmmaker. Those days were fun."
Directed by Joachim Rønning, Disney's Maleficent: Mistress of Evil stars Angelina Jolie, Michelle Pfeiffer, Elle Fanning, Harris Dickinson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley, Ek Skrein, Juno Temple, Imedla Staunton and Lesley Manville. The film is available now on digital HD, Blu-ray and DVD.

 source : CBR