Between fresh news on Warner Bros.’ **Pinocchio and now this, someone clearly decided it was fairytale Sunday. Disney is edging closer to making its new take on Sleeping Beauty’s big bad, Maleficent, with production designer/visual effects guru Robert Stromberg stepping in to grab the director’s chair.
Maleficent is still being developed as a starring vehicle for Angelina Jolie, with the story focusing on the bad fairy (technically, not a witch) with the habit of transforming into a dragon when really angry.
With a script by Linda Woolverton in hand, the Mouse House has been trying to pin down a director for months now. Tim Burton (yep, him again!) was briefly attached back in early 2011 before fleeing to concentrate on Dark Shadows. Then Disney cast its net a little wider, with the likes of David O Russell interested. Now, though it would seem that the studio and producer Joe Roth have gone down the list and decided to pluck Stromberg for his first turn hoisting the megaphone.
Though he’s never been the man in charge before, Stromberg’s not exactly a newcomer to film. His credits include Avatar, Alice In Wonderland, the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, 2012 and Master And Commander. And though the history of visual effects boffins-turned-directors is patchy, chances are he has a handle on how to bring the spectacle. If he sticks even vaguely to the Eyvind Earle design of the Disney cartoon, you can be sure the film will look spectacular at the very least.