With director Tim Burton no longer on board, Disney’s upcoming film Maleficent has been drawing attention from some other top-name directors, including Darren Aronofsky and David Yates. The most recent director said to be interested in the project, however, is David O. Russell, known for his work on such films as The Fighter and I Heart Huckabees. Russell’s involvement with the film is only rumored at this point; he is also rumored to be working on The Silver Linings Playbook with Mark Wahlberg, and recently left his role as director on Uncharted over creative differences. However, Russell’s specialty in dark humor and dysfunctional characters could prove a good match for Maleficent, so we can’t wait to see what will happen with this new film.
As previously announced, Disney’s Maleficent will be penned by screenwriter Linda Woolverton (Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, The Lion King) and will star actress Angelina Jolie in the title role. The film, a reworking of the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale from the villainous Maleficent’s point of view, will use the same basic formula that made last year’s Alice in Wonderland such a success: a noteworthy director, bevy of big-name stars, and a story that presents a classic piece of literature in a totally re-imagined way. The film is currently slated for release in 2013.
