Robert Stromberg Will Direct Maleficent For Disney

Disney originally had Tim Burton set to direct Maleficent (a reimagining of Sleeping Beauty) with Angelina Jolie in mind to star as the villain. The project came about during the massive success of Burton's take on Alice In Wonderland. Disney hoped he could bring the same kind of magic for a new live-action Sleeping Beauty film. It's unknown if Jolie will indeed will end up in the role of Maleficent as it hasn't been made official. Deadline reports that Robert Stromberg will replace Burton as the movie's director. Stromberg is mostly known as production designer and apart of visual effects department on some rather large films.

His credits include production designs for Avatar, Alice In Wonderland and Sam Raimi's Oz, The Great And Powerful. Robert also did visual effects on Boardwalk Empire, The Pacific. Tropic Thunder, Pirates: At World's End, Solaris (2002), Bad Boys 2, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Chronicles of Riddick, Pan's Labyrinth and Shutter Island. I have a strong feeling that this film will end up looking gorgeous but ends up more similar to the tone of Snow White And The Huntsmen.

It's interesting to see how Disney handles their live-action tentpoles considering they have to make these films different enough from their Marvel superhero films. Lone Ranger and Oz seem to keep Disney's fantasy tradition intact while staying in their respected genres. I assume like Alice, Maleficent could look unrecognizable from the original animated film.

Noomi Rapace Cast In Ridley Scott's Prometheus Coming May 9th 2012

Deadline reports that Fox and Ridley Scott have cast Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw in Prometheus which is set for release on March 9th 2012.  The project was originally set to be a prequel to Alien but has become an original project. Ridley hasn't made an original science fiction project since the greatest film of the genre Bladerunner. While story elements are unknown Ridley states there will be familiar Alien DNA and promises a grand mythology/universe. I gather he means it will be a science fiction horror film and could likely involve aliens just not the Xenomorph.

Rapace had been championed by Ridley while Fox had their doubts but it looks like the director has got his way. Interesting enough is their new announcement that Angelina Jolie is going up against Charlize Theron for the role of Vickers. I'm curious to see who comes on top either way it should be enough for Fox to fit the bill for rather expensive production's budget. While I'm worried about Jolie's abilities, with Ridley in charge I have faith it could be amazing none the less. The only other name not mentioned is Michael Fassbender who had been linked for the role of the ship's android David.

To be honest this new information gives me the relief that our love for Alien won't be tarnished by a possible bad prequel. Now there is hope that we'll have yet another epically scaled science fiction classic from Ridley. I'm fully on board with this and will be following this closely and will post non-spoilers plot details when they surface. 

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Angelina Jolie

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