Jolie ignites screen as iconic villain Maleficent

MANILA, Philippines - Angelina Jolie in the role of Disney’s new fantasy adventure Maleficent was a decision made somewhere far above the normal casting confines.

“Even before I became involved with this project, I’d heard Angelina’s name attached and I thought, ‘What perfect casting!,’” recalls director Robert Stromberg. “You can just look at her picture and Maleficent’s image and see it is a marriage made in heaven.”

“I loved Maleficent when I was a little girl,” says Jolie. “She was my favorite Disney character. I was afraid of her and I loved her. I was really moved by the script from first reading. It was like uncovering a great mystery. We all know the story of Sleeping Beauty and we all know Maleficent and what happened at the christening because we’ve all grown up with that. But what we’ve never known is, what happened before?”

Maleficent explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic Sleeping Beauty and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.

Maleficent is a complex character with many layers; she is driven by revenge yet she fiercely protects the land she loves and all who dwell there. Speaking of the character and what she would like audiences to take away, Jolie says, “I hope the girls, especially, will see the importance of having a sense of justice and a sense of what’s fair and what’s worth fighting for. They’ll see that they can be warriors and at the same time soft and feminine and deeply feeling, with all the complexities women have.”

Working with Jolie was an incredible experience for co-star Sharlto Copley, who plays Stefan. “Just meeting her right from the beginning, from the rehearsal stage, we have a similar energy and similar intensity in our work,” says Copley. “We communicate in a similar way as well. She’s very smart about story and about filmmaking. She’s not just an actress; she directs as well and is very aware of the whole film and all aspects of the film and what’s going on. I felt very privileged, very honored, to get the chance to do this film with her.”

Having the opportunity to work with Jolie was also exciting for Elle Fanning who portrays Princess Aurora. “It’s really been amazing,” says Fanning. “I remember meeting her for the first time in London. I had never met her before, and she gave me a big hug. She said we were just going to have so much fun together. And we did have a lot of fun. It’s been great.”

Sam Riley, who plays Diaval, Maleficent’s loyal companion, agrees that “Angelina’s absolutely perfectly cast and you can’t really imagine anybody else working today in the part.”

(Now showing nationwide in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D formats, Maleficent is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.)