- Title: Angelina Jolie like 'Maleficent' questions her Mom skills
- Date: 9th October 2019
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 9, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ACTOR ANGELINA JOLIE WHO PLAYS 'MALEFICENT' ARRIVING AND WALKING DOWN THE RED CARPET AT LONDON'S IMAX CINEMA, SOUTH BANK WITH SOME OF HER CHILDREN, ZAHARA, SHILOH, KNOX AND VIVIENNE VARIOUS OF ACTOR ELLE FANNING SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS AND HAVING SELFIES TAKEN JOLIE SPEAKING TO REPORTER (UPSOT) (English) JOLIE SAYING ABOUT HAVING HER CHILDREN WITH HER: "Oh, it's so fun, it makes it, you know, it would get quite lonely if I was doing it by myself and you know it's never fun to focus on yourself anyway." JOLIE HANDS CROSSED UNDER THE MATERIAL OF HER DRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR AND PRODUCER, ANGELINA JOLIE, ON WHY THIS CHARACTER IS SPECIAL TO HER, SAYING: "She's had a bad wrap for a long time. She's been through, we discover she's been through a lot in her life and she's, she's trying to hold onto herself. I think she, I think she in this one she really questions whether or not she's a good enough Mom and doesn't know where she belongs and who she is? You know, she has to learn about herself, like all of us do." FANNING GREETING FANS AND SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR AND PRODUCER, ANGELINA JOLIE, ON BEING UNITED WITH HER SCREEN 'GODDAUGHTER', FANNING, SAYING: "It was wonderful. She's grown up into such a great woman. And really, especially we all know growing up in this business and having all these pressures and influences and she's just kept her...She's stronger and she's grown up and she is just as sweet, just as grateful, and really she's special." FANNING ON RED CARPET GREETING PEOPLE ACTOR CHIWETEL EJIOFOR WHO PLAYS FEY LEADER, 'CONALL', SPEAKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, CHIWETEL EJIOFOR, ON WORKING WITH JOLIE AND THE TEAM, SAYING: "We were doing a lot of, you know, with the Dark Fey, a lot of flying and you know, trying to figure that out. Angelina was very kind to help me with the landing which is actually quite difficult. It's quite tricky, you know, to pull that off, but she'd had a lot of practice obviously on the first one (first 'Maleficent' film) so. It was nice, it was nice to come into something that was already sort of built and a family that was already there and be sort of welcomed into it." JOLIE SIGNING A 'MALEFICENT' CHARACTER POSTER FOR FAN AND TAKING A SELFIE ACTOR LESLEY MANVILLE WHO PLAYS FAIRY 'FLITTLE' SPEAKING TO REPORTER RED CARPET WITH POSTERS OF JOLIE AS 'MALEFICENT' AND ACTOR MICHELLE PFEIFFER AS HER ARCH RIVAL, 'QUEEN INGRITH' ACTORS SAM RILEY WHO PLAYS 'DIAVAL' (L) AND WARWICK DAVIS (R) SPEAKING TO REPORTERS DAVIS LISTENING TO REPORTER RILEY SPEAKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, SAM RILEY, ON WORKING AROUND STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS, SAYING: "But to watch Angelina and Michelle Pfeiffer going up against one another is really, you have to remember you're in the scene as well. Sometimes you just (pulls face), find yourself gawping at them." JOLIE SPEAKING TO DRAG QUEENS
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2019 21:56
- Keywords: director Joachim Ronning Maleficent Mistress of Evil Disney Ed Skrien Sam Riley Warwick Davis Lesley Manville Chiwetel Ejiofor Angelina Jolie Elle Fanning
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM/ VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM/ VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA002B0DKFGT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Angelina Jolie arrived at the European premiere of "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" with four of her six children on Wednesday night (October 9) in London's South Bank.
Zahara, Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne walked Mom down the red carpet, keeping her company on the latest leg of the new Disney film's tour.
Jolie told Reuters she is very fond of her magical, villainous character 'Maleficent' because she is flawed and wonders whether she is being a good mother to her goddaughter, Princess Aurora, played by Elle Fanning.
"She really questions whether or not she's a good enough Mom and doesn't know where she belongs and who she is?" said Jolie.
"She has to learn about herself, like all of us do."
In the second saga that comes five years after the first film, Maleficent and Aurora face unexpected strains on their relationship, after the princess agrees to be married and dark forces come into play, triggered by a scheming mother-in-law-to-be, Queen Ingrith, played by Michelle Pfeiffer.
In real life, Jolie has watched Fanning "grow up" in the role of Aurora, after she first played the part in 2014 as a young teen.
Jolie says "special" Fanning has remained "just as sweet, just as grateful" in the business, despite "pressures and influences."
Fellow Brit male co-stars on the red carpet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley and Ed Skrein all praised the film's strong female leads, Jolie, Fanning and Pfeiffer who was absent on the night.
Ejiofor told Reuters Jolie had helped with his flying and landing as a fellow 'Fey' fairy character. Riley admitted to 'gawping' or staring openly at Jolie and Pfeiffer when the female characters faced off, often forgetting he was in the same scene.
Jolie who is also producing the film told Reuters she is excited about how children will discuss the topics with adults that the film raises, which include family relationships, tolerance, diversity and the environment.
"I hope the end, whether they know why or not, or connected to politics or not, they just are happy that people are together being themselves and embracing each other," she said. "(Then) you've done something."
"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" is released October 18.
(Production: Will Russell and Lisa Giles-Keddie) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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