"Maleficent" - Now With More Mike Leigh!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 6:00PM Had a private double take giggle last night when I read the news of Maleficent's latest cast members. Maleficent herself Angelina Jolie and Sleeping Beauty Elle Fanning will be joined by Brit prestige actors like Oscar nominee Miranda Richardson (who will be play the fairy queen aunt of Maleficent), Sam Riley (Control), Kenneth Cranham (Made in Dagenham), and.... wait for it... Mike Leigh thespian goddesses Imelda Staunton & Lesley Manville as Beauty's protectors (two pixies instead of three fairies).
Imelda and Lesley will protect Sleeping Beauty in "Maleficent"
Suddenly I was picturing Mike Leigh in the director's chair!
Imagine the gritty British realness. Picture Angelina Jolie rehearsing for six month to suit Leigh's process. Hee. The insights into Maleficent's psyche- the grotty castle home she's lived in for decades, centuries worth of raven droppings, her unspoken trauma from past society shunnings, the weight of the horns on her head and how it's left her with a permanently sore neck. Imagine Angelina and Miranda diagramming their entire history as relatives in a quiet rehearsal space and writing their own lines. The pixies vibe would include stunted maternal instincts and adoptive parent sorrow "We have to give the wee lass back?!?".
Mike Leigh's Maleficent wouldn't break $200 million but I'd buy several tickets.
In the eternal "Pink... no Blue" fairy godmother debate, we figure Imelda gets the pink if she wants it.
She owns the pink.
P.S. If they were to add a third fairy godmother, excuse me "pixie" who should join Imelda & Lesley to raise narcoleptic Elle Fanning? Cast it in the comments!
Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Maleficent, Mike Leigh, casting, fairy tales
Reader Comments (28)
It's a cool cast, although I'd totally prefer if for instance Cate Blanchett was Maleficient. I don't know why but I've always pictured her in that part.
For the third pixie... Wouldn't Helen Mirren, Lesley Manville and Imelda Staunton have a ball living together? I can only imagine their drunk shenanigans!
Laura Linney? Maybe too young. Angela Lansbury? Maybe too old.
I can see an All About Cinderella directed by Almodóvar. All women cast, absent father figure (he didn't die, he left his straight life to live with a trucker), high heels...
easy. celia imrie.
by the way look what i found just floating around.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/nicolekidmanfaithharper.jpg/
Third Pixie? Brenda Blethyn, for the Mike Leigh trifecta.
Laika-I was thinking the same thing. Blethyn would make it the Leigh Goddess Three.
Oh lord, I hope Ang isn't doing a British accent.
Jacki Weaver!!!!
Vanessa Redgrave
I'll go with Judi Dench. She'd be the reasonable one rolling her eyes at the other two as they fight.
The first person I thought of to complete the trio was Miriam Margolyes.
Oh my god, Mike Leigh's Maleficent would be too cool for words. Now I'm heartily disappointed that it's not what's actually happening. As for the third fairy, Pam Grier. Think about it.
Brenda Blethyn or Maggie Smith, obviously.
Hey, what about Ruth Sheen?
Wow, Miranda Richardson as Angelina Jolie's aunt. This is crazy good casting.
Laika -- YES. she can call the other pixies "sweetheart"
Seeking Amy -- Miriam would make me superduper happy too
I'm very excited for this movie now. I think Brenda Blythyn would be the best for a tri-fecta. but I think Miriam or Jacki Weaver would be fun too. Helena Bonham Carter should be mentioned for anything whimsical and British. Miranda Richardson was so good in 'Sleepy Hollow' playing evil, excited to see her in this kind of story again.
Kathy Bates? or Margo Martindale how about julie christie
Angelica hUston
This is properly exciting casting!
I love me some Imelda and this seems the perfect antithesis to her wonderfully wicked Mrs. Lovett that is lighting up the Westend!
sally hawkins she could be a trainee.
Brenda Blethyn IS the answer. I picture lots of hilarious hysteria.
I am over this retelling of fairy tales from the villain's point of view mostly because Neil Gaiman's Snow Glass Apples will never be filmed by this point. It truly flips Snow White around and makes Snow the villain of the story.
MIKE LEIGH will be interviewed by Greg Dyke at the Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival in Schull West Cork on Sunday 27th May.
Writer-director Mike Leigh was born in 1943 in Salford. He trained at the Royal Academy of
Another Year is Leigh’s most recent full length movie. It screened in competition at Cannes in 2010 and it also went on to be nominated for an Oscar. CFSFF will screen it on Thursday 24th May 2012 in the Village Hall.
See fastnetshortfilmfestival.com
My dream casting would have been Angela Lansbury, Debbie Reynolds and Julia McKenzie. Miriam Margolyes would have been great as well.
I loved Flora, Fauna, and Merrieweather. I can't understand having only two. I like the suggestion of Anjelica Huston for the third. I also think Gina McKee would be good, another self-possessed brunette.
Judy Davis/
Instead of casting the most beautiful woman in the world as Melificent and the most beautiful woman in her movie as the Evil Queen (Charlize Theron) wouldn't it be cooler if Hollywood did something revolutionary and actually let these non-20 something year old women be the stars of their show? An older but still gorgeous Snow White/Sleeping Beauty wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. And then we wouldn't have to pretend that Kristen Stewart is the fairest in the land (she's not even the prettiest girl in Twilight since Taylor Lautner has that locked up).
Jon. LOL. Love that last bit. And I so agree. But then I like my 30+divas.