For some reason, seeing the Jolie in costume as Maleficent in England today surrounded by bulls (I think they’re bulls but if they’re not I apologise - I am terrible at identifying animals) reminded me of True Blood Season 2 and that crazy ass maenad Maryanne. Wasn’t she really horny for a divine bull or something? God I hated that storyline so much. Which is why I’m sketchy on the details. I’m sure you’ll remind me.
But now Disney’s release of the first official photo of the Jolie as Maleficent yesterday - click here for a refresher - makes a lot more sense. Knowing they’d be shooting outside today, and to pre-empt the paparazzi, the studio decided to control the story before having it taken out of their hands. See now that’s proper movie management. I admire how that was handled. It’s very Brange, non?
Am intrigued about these shots though, and for more than just the Jolie’s presence, because it would suggest, perhaps, that the film’s aesthetic may not be entirely studio based (even though it’s to be in 3D), specifically allowing its villain a wider territory, exterior and interior. Julia Roberts’s Snow White looked like it was entirely shot on sound stages. Charlize Theron’s contribution too in Snow White And The Huntsman felt confined to the inside. But here’s Maleficent stalking through the grass and it surprised me. My assumption was that we’d see her in black robes a lot, slithering around a dark castle, speaking in a deep voice with a bad British accent. Now here we are and...Maleficent is camping!
