When I started writing for ScienceFiction.com almost exactly five years ago, I wrote an article that said that fairy tale re-imaginings were all the rage as of late. I cited TV shows like ‘Once Upon A Time’ and ‘Grimm’ or films like ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ and ‘Beastly’ as just a few examples of everybody jumping on the bandwagon with their own versions of classic stories. Then I got to fairytale powerhouse Disney and said that they didn’t want to be upstaged in their own game. That was the lead in for the news that Angelina Jolie would be playing the titular role in the then-upcoming live-action ‘Sleeping Beauty’ prequel titled ‘Maleficent’.
Five years later, this trend still hasn’t slowed down. In fact, Walt Disney Studios has a number of films like these on their schedule through 2019. From ‘Dumbo’ to ‘Mulan’ to a Cruella de Vil movie starring Emma Stone, the next generation gets to meet such beloved characters in a whole new way. But with all the “new” stuff on the way, the House of Mouse is still seeking to return to one of the films that started it all for them in this department.
For some time, Jolie has been busy with directing a few films that were near and dear to her heart. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, it seems like the actress is now ready to dive back into working in front of the camera as opposed to behind one after challenging herself with ‘First They Killed My Father’, a non-fiction account of the horrors of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia. In addition to developing a movie about Catherine the Great and a World War II spy film for Universal titled ‘The Spy Who Loved’, Jolie is currently considering ‘Maleficent 2’ (and a number of other projects) as her next project.
And honestly, why wouldn’t she? In addition to grossing over $758 million worldwide, the 2014 dark fantasy is also the highest grossing film that she has ever starred in. Although, the publication makes it sound like it’s still too early to tell which way the actress is actually leaning. After all, the planned sequel is still undergoing script development by writer Linda Woolverton and no director is currently attached. Additionally, the report states Jolie may not be a “negotiate-at-all-costs star to the studios” anymore due to her the reception to her last few projects. Either way, it will be exciting to see what she does next and what project she takes on in another five years.
Despite being a “professional writer”, Ben likes run-on sentences far too much. For more of his attempts at being funny and the occasional insightful thought, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
