Also Producing, But Not Yet Directing, Churchill/Roosevelt Film With Anthony Hopkins
Angelina Jolie‘s a funny one. She’s a good actress and a giant movie star, but at least for this writer, she’s barely made any good movies. Michael Winterbottom‘s “A Mighty Heart,” which features the actress’ best performance, is great (and underrated), and “Girl, Interrupted,” “Changeling” and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” all have their defenders, but personally we can’t find much to like in any of them. But, if the actress gets her way, there’s one project on her dance card which certainly has our attention.
The actress is attached to star as the legendary Egyptian queen in “Cleopatra” for “The Social Network” producer Scott Rudin, and the two have been making their way through Hollywood’s A-list directors to find the right man to helm it, with both James Cameron and Paul Greengrass flirting with the film before ultimately turning it down. MTV caught up with Jolie at Cannes, where she’s currently promoting “Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom,” and the actress confirmed that she’s got another big name in her sights, one that’s already been connected with the film.
David Fincher, who worked with Rudin on both “The Social Network” and the upcoming “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” was reported to have been approached for the project a few months back, and when MTV asks about that, Jolie confirms that there have been talks, although “It’s all very early. Fincher’s been an old friend, so we’ve always been looking for something to do.” The director, of course, worked with Jolie’s partner, Brad Pitt, on “Se7en,” “Fight Club” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
Fincher’s theoretically meant to go on and make “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” once he wraps up “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” but we certainly would rather that he’d take on Brian Helgeland‘s Egyptian script than the undersea adventure. The fact that talks still seem to be going on is certainly a good sign, but we imagine that Fincher may not want to commit until later in the year. But if Disney can land a new director for “Maleficent,” which Jolie is attached to star in, after Tim Burton left the project yesterday, then that may become the actress’ priority. Although we hope not.
Jolie also confirms that she’s producing “Churchill and Roosevelt,” which Anthony Hopkins revealed a few weeks ago that Jolie had approached him about, although it seems that reports that she’d make it her second directorial effort after Bosnian drama “In The Land of Blood and Honey” are exaggerated. She says right now that “I just want to see it get done,” and also reports that no one is currently attached as Roosevelt. “Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom,” meanwhile, lands on May 27th.