Angelina Jolie to Promote 'Maleficent' in China
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- Published on Wednesday, 04 June 2014 10:52
- Written by Hollywood Reporter
Meanwhile, Brad Pitt is expected to have a more low-key visit after he angered Chinese authorities with "Seven Years in Tibet," which led to the star being banned from the country.Angelina Jolie is set to promote Maleficent in Shanghai on Tuesday, with her presence sure to give yet more gloss to the performance of the Disney live-action fairytale, which opened with a $170.6 million global box-office haul.A big driver for the $70 million debut in North American theaters were girls and women. The female audience is also a key demographic for the movie in China.Jolie will be accompanied on the trip by Brad Pitt, who will not take part in the promotional activities for Maleficent, which is due to bow in China on June 20.Pitt's presence is significant as he has been persona non grata in China since he played Heinrich Harrer in Seven Years in Tibet, a movie disliked by the Chinese authorities, as it includes an account of the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 and subsequent ousting of the region's religious leader, the Dalai Lama, long considered a dangerous separatist by Beijing.There are signs that relationships are thawing though. Seven Years in Tibet was directed by Frenchman Jean-Jacques Annaud, who is currently directing Wolf Totem, which is backed by state-run film firm China Film Group.Annaud's status has shifted to that of a hero in China, with local media reporting tales of his befriending wolves during the shooting of the philosophical adventure story.Last year, Pitt posted on the Chinese version of Twitter, Sina Weibo, saying he would be coming to the country, but the message disappeared soon after.
Pitt's World War Z didn't make it into Chinese theaters, despite indications that it might, although the flesh-eating theme might have been the reason it didn't clear that hurdle despite The Walking Dead being available online in China.Chinese audiences increasingly reward stars who make the effort to come to China to promote a movie.Twentieth Century Fox tentpole X-Men: Days of Future Past took nearly $40 million in its opening weekend after Hugh Jackman and Peter Dinklage came to Beijing for their promotional duties.The Amazing Spider-Man 2's profile also was highly visible in the country after Andrew Garfield, Jamie Foxx and Emma Stone visited to promote the pic. Similarly, Johnny Depp's decision to come to China to promote Transcendence helped assure it made nearly as much here as it did in the U.S. in its opening weekend ($11.5 million in the U.S.).Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson came to Beijing to promote Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which made more than $108 million in China.
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Box Office: Angelina Jolie’s ‘Maleficent’ Making Magic With $70 million Plus U.S. Opening
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- Published on Sunday, 01 June 2014 09:06
- Written by Variety
Angelina Jolie’s got the box office magic with “Maleficent,” with early Friday forecasts pointing to a U.S. opening weekend that could wind up above $70 million.Disney’s assiduously marketed fantasy epic is on track to take in about $23 million to $26 million on Friday, including a solid $4.2 million from Thursday evening showings. Friday’s weekend projections for “Maleficent” ranged from the low $60 millions to the low $70 millions.Friday business appeared to be significantly more robust than trackers had expected, which had led to recent forecasts in the $60 million range. The live-action retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story will become the highest opening weekend for Jolie, easily topping the $50.9 million launch frame for 2008′s “Wanted.” Disney’s marketing push for “Maleficent,” which carries a $180 million pricetag, stresses her portrayal of a supernatural villain — albeit one with a human side. The studio saw a similarly strong performance last year with another fantasy-actioner, “Oz the Great and Powerful,” which opened with $79.1 million domestically on its way to a solid $234.9 million at the domestic box office.Matinee business for “Maleficent” was in line with the performance of “Oz,” which debuted in March 2013, when far fewer children were out of school. Reviews for “Maleficent” have been mixed, with a 49% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.Friday’s forecasts were less sunny for Seth McFarlane in his first live-action starring role in “A Million Ways to Die in the West.” Universal’s R-rated Western comedy was heading for about $7 million to $9 million on Friday, leading to a weekend in the $20 million to $22 million range.
That’s less than half of the $49 million opening for “Neighbors,” another Universal comedy aimed at adults. “Neighbors” has grossed an impressive $120 million in its first three weeks.McFarlane stunned Hollywood in 2012 with “Ted,” which opened domestically with $54.4 million on its way to a $218.8 million domestic cume and took in another $331 million overseas.Reviewers have not been kind to “A Million Ways,” with a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.Fox’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past” showed plenty of punch at the start of its second weekend with Friday’s number in the $10 million to $12 million range on its eighth day in U.S. theaters after grossing $129 million in its first week.The mutant sequel, which earned an A CinemaScore rating, looks likely to finish the weekend with $35 million-$38 million — representing a decline of about 55% to 60% from the three-day launch of $91 million.That decline is at the low end of “X-Men” films in the series, which have dropped from 53% to nearly 70% in their second weekends.The third weekend of “Godzilla” will finish fourth with about $13 million after devouring $162 million in its first two weeks.
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Angelina confirms talks for Cleopatra movie – but might she be tempted to retire after?
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- Published on Sunday, 01 June 2014 09:00
- Written by Metro
Angelina Jolie has revealed she has been in talks to star in a film about the life of Cleopatra.The Maleficent star said she has been meeting with different directors to come up with ideas for the film.While the project is coming together, Jolie admitted that such a huge role would require a lot of preparation.She told Edith Bowman on Radio 5 live: ‘We’ve been working on it. There’s been lots of different ideas of directors and lots of different discussions. The script has been written by Eric Roth, who is a dear friend and a brilliant writer.’She suggested that playing Cleopatra would be such a huge role that she might be tempted not to carry on acting.‘She’s complicated, it’s complicated to get this one right. I think we’re getting there. It’s getting close. I imagine the preparation for it is going to be big.’She went on: ‘It’s one of those that you think maybe that’s the one you put everything into and that’s where you end it, that’s where you finish – in a great way! ‘What could you do beyond that one?’ The actress recently hinted that her acting career will be taking a back seat in the near future.Angelina revealed that she will focus on her humanitarian work with the United Nations and Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative; and directing instead.‘I’ve had a wonderful career and I’m very happy to have had all the opportunities to tell stories and work for as long as I have’ she said.‘I’m sure there will be more films but I am happy I am able to be selective and have fun with characters like this but I would like to focus on writing and directing and above all I would like to focus more on my work with the UN and PSVI.’
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Angelina Jolie is Brad Pitt's 'Maleficent' at Hollywood Premiere!
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- Published on Thursday, 29 May 2014 10:52
- Written by Just Jared
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt hold hands while arriving at premiere of her new flick Maleficent held at the El Capitan Theatre on Wednesday (May 28) in Hollywood. A few weeks ago, the 38-year-old actress sported a black dress while supporting the 50-year-old actor at his 2014 Make It Right Foundation Gala in New Orleans, La. “I want them to do it for fun only, and when they get older, if they decide to be actors, I would just ask that that’s not the center of their lives,” Angie recently shared to ABC about her kids going into acting. “That’s an aspect but they are involved in many other things, because I don’t think it’s a healthy focus as the center of your life.” FYI: Angelina is wearing Versace and Brad is wearing Gucci.
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Maleficent's Darkly Beautiful Jewels
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- Published on Wednesday, 28 May 2014 04:11
- Written by Vogue
EVERYONE wants a little bit of Maleficent - Disney's summer blockbuster starring (in case you've been living on Mars for the past few weeks) Angelina Jolie as the titular villain - but, far from just creating the usual movie merchandise (think horns on a hairband and maybe a cloak), Disney has collaborated on something much more spectacular. The film behemoth has enlisted Crow's Nest Fine Jewellery to encapsulate all that is enthralling and beautiful about Sleeping Beauty's fairytale nemesis in a series of wearable pieces."It's a seven-piece collection of contemporary and statement rings, bracelets and earcuffs, taking inspiration from and interpreting the key elements of the film," designer Daniel Belevitch told us. "Each piece is set in rhodium with black diamonds, featuring a pear-shaped onyx, which contrasts with the green tsavorite that has become signature for my core pieces."Inspired by key motifs in the film - fire, dragons, thorns and feathers - and having watched clips and closely examined the costumes, Belevitch began sketching. Ranging in price from £2,500 to £13,500, the finished offering is as exquisite and beautiful as the film's protagonist - but like her is also complex."She's a dark character but with a beauty as well," he added. "I think she's misunderstood and we can learn something about ourselves from her. I hope my interpretation of the character, that I tried to capture within the jewellery, reflects how other people feel too, dark but beautiful."
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