VIVIENNE JOLIE-PITT CAST IN "MALEFICENT"

Teaser Artwork for Maleficent

Looks like the acting bug has been inherited! Just one day after her Father Jon Voight was in the City, it has been announced that Angelina Jolie’s Daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt has been cast in Disney’s Maleficent, due to hit theatres March 2014.

Four-year-old Vivienne will be playing a minor role as the child version of Princess Aurora! The live-action Film gives us Backstory to what led Maleficent to curse Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty.

(Photo credit: Walt Disney Motion Pictures)

JON VOIGHT IN TORONTO FOR THE UNITED JEWISH APPEAL

Jon Voight in Toronto - August 2012

Icon. The United Jewish Appeal will be presenting Screen Legend Jon Voight - yes, Father of Angelina Jolie - to launch their 2013 Campaign in Toronto later tonight. The Event is to take place at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

Voight, who has been public about his support for Israel, appeared on Global Television's The Morning Show today to talk about the Launch, saying.  Click here to watch the Interview in full (available later today).

I had the pleasure of meeting the v. tall Voight and getting a quick Snap - a true Gentleman, who still at 73-years-old looks every bit the Star that he is.

The Oscar and Golden Globe-winning Actor is said next to be attached to Blockbuster National Treasure 3, alongside Nicolas Cage.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

FIRST LOOK: ANGELINA JOLIE AS "MALEFICENT"

New Still from Maleficent

Here's a first look at Disney's upcoming Live Action Film, Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie.  The Film helmed by first-time Director and Oscar-winning Production Designer Robert Stromberg, tells us the Story behind how the Sleeping Beauty Villain was driven to the Dark Side, eventually cursing the Baby, Aurora.  

Having just begun Production lats Wednesday, Maleficent also boasts a superb Female Supporting Cast of Juno Temple, Miranda Richardson, Elle Fanning, Imelda Staunton and Lesley Manville.

March 14, 2014 is the set release date. Cannot wait.

(Photo credit: Walt Disney Motion Pictures)

"THE ARTIST" WINS AT PRODUCERS GUILD AWARDS

Angelina Jolie at 23rd Annual Producers Guild Awards

The Producers Guild Awards were held earlier this evening at the Beverly Hilton, honouring the Producers behind the finest in Television and Film. The Awards are considered a major precursor to determining who might win at the Oscars. The Artist has solidified its status as the Frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars with its Producer Thomas Langmann winning for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.  Nominations will be announced early Tuesday.

Other Winners tonight included:

• Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy & Peter Jackson for The Adventures of Tintin (Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Picture

• Angelina Jolie's directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey (The Stanley Kramer Award)

• Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morton, Jeffrey Richman, Dan O’Shannon, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel & Danny Zuker for Modern Family (Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy)

• Julian Fellowes, Nigel Marchant & Gareth Neame for Downtown Abbey (Outstanding Producer of Long-form Television) 

 

See Photos from the Awards at Zimbio. View a complete list of Winners here.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

"IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY": MOVIE REVIEW

Still from In the Land of Blood and Honey

Many curious eyes will be fixed upon Angelina Jolie's written and directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey. I might even go out on a limb to say that perhaps over-ambitious, she delivers ably. Set during the Bosnian War in the '90s, we see an unconventional Love Story between both Ajla (Zana Marjanović) and Danijel (Goran Kostić), held together during War and forever divided by their ethnic differences.  

Ajla, of Muslim descent, is captured and contained at a Rape Camp during the Bosnian-Serbs' Ethnic Cleansing regime.  She falls in love prior to the War with Danijel, a Serbian Soldier and subsequently one of her Captors, raising a few eyebrows among his peers and Father, Nebojsa (Rade Šerbedžija). Although Danijel vows to protect Ajla secretly, we see the impact of circumstance on their relationship as their true allegiances to one another and their beliefs are tested to the extreme by torture.  We see all sorts of horrible things happen, including the rape and humiliation of any non-Serbian Women, to their being used as Human Shields at battle - a brutal side to a Story seldom acknowledged in Hollywood.

Although In the Land of Blood and Honey struggles a bit early in its tone with a Script that reads almost too text book-like and perhaps one too many coincidences to be fully believable, Jolie masters the art of suspense and this is palpable as the Story progresses.  For much of the latter part of the Film, I was overcome with the agonizing feeling that something is terribly wrong for Ajla nor Danijel. Jolie's efforts in humanizing both sides of the complex struggle are respectable, but I for one would have gotten more from this had she explored the emotional element of Loss a bit more here.  The costs paid by Ajla and Danijel are great, including Friends and Family but do we ever get a full grasp of this?

A-LISTERS AT 23RD ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS GALA

Brad Pitt & Angeline Jolie at 23rd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala

The 23rd Annual Palm Springs Film Festival Awards Gala is where it was at last night with tons of A-listers flying out to spritz-up the Desert with a bit of Glamour. Brad Pitt, who arrived with a cane in-hand after inuring his knee skiing with three-year-old Daughter Vivienne, received the Desert Palm Achievement Award. On-stage, he thanked Co-stars Jonah Hill, Sean Penn and Philip Seymour Hoffman. On his Tree of Life Co-star Jessica Chastain who earlier received the Spotlight Award, he joked "Usually an Actress has to work in the Porn industry to have that kind of success. It’s impressive.”.

Others honoured last night included Michelle Williams in Prada, receiving the Desert Palm Achievement Award for her work in My Week with Marilyn; Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud Director Stephen Daldry being named Director of the Year; Glenn Close getting a Career Achievement Award; Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Diablo Cody & Jason Reitman given the Ensemble Award for Young Adult; Director Michel Hazanavicius being presented with the Sono Bono Visionary Award for The Artist; and Octavia Spencer, a Breakthrough Performance Award for her work in The Help. 

See Photos from the Night over at Zimbio.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

ANGELINA JOLIE ON "60 MINUTES"

Angelina Jolie on 60 Minutes

CBS' 60 Minutes profiled Angelina Jolie earlier this evening, catching up with her in Budapest where she had filmed forthcoming directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey. Touching upon heavy subject matter, even she surprised herself by looking at topics like Rape, Genocide and War in Bosnia. "I think I'd be terrible in a Comedy", she laughs.

When asked about her Humanitarian efforts and whether or not she still has a "bad side" to her, Jolie says, "I'm still a Bad Girl.  I still have that side of me that belongs to Brad and our adventures.". Wow.

Jolie opens-up,  revealing a delicate side to her we don't always see. Marcheline Bertrand, Jolie's Mother, is credited for teaching her how to raise her own Kids. "I will never as good a Mother as she was... she was just grace incarnate, the most generous loving".  Jolie breaks down for a moment before declaring, "She's better than me."

The Oscar Winner also comments on her new-found love for directing stating, "I'd like having the spotlight on somebody else. I'd much prefer it.".  She does express fears that her Fans might not understand In the Land of Blood and Honey, but admits to being scared, "in a good way".

Watch the Profile in full below:

TRAILER: "IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY" BY ANGELINA JOLIE

Still from In the Land of Blood and Honey

"Love can change what we want,

War can change who we are."

The Trailer for Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey, looks rather intense and we shouldn’t expect any less of the Academy Award-winning Actress. The Drama takes place in the mid-90s in a war-torn Bosnia, centering around the passionate relationship between a man who oversees a Serbian Rape Camp, and also a Woman who is a Bosnian-Muslim War Victim. It appears she didn't get too ambitious, working with a modest budget and little-known Actors, but this looks like the real deal.

FilmDistrict releases in the U.S. on December 23, 2011.

Watch the Trailer in full below:

(Photo/video credit: FilmDistrict)

ANGELINA JOLIE HEADS BACK TO CAMBODIA FOR LOUIS VUITTON

Angelina Jolie for Louis Vuitton

While we're all waiting to see if her directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey will premiere at TIFF in September, Angelina Jolie, currently the face of Louis Vuitton, has the Fashion House follow her back to Cambodia where she reflects upon memories there while filming Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - the same country she found her eldest Son, Maddox.

Click here to watch Jolie reflect upon her experiences.  

Apparently she loves receiving Maps and Globes as gifts?  And her Children love eating Crickets?

(Photo credit: Annie Leibovitz/Louis Vuitton)

KATE WINSLET POSSIBLE FOR TIFF 2011?

Kate Winslet for St. John

If I could get my Photo with any one Actress and one Actress only, it would definitely be Kate Winslet.  The Academy Award winner time and time again has melted my heart with astounding work and after just receiving a Primetime Emmy nomination last week for her work on Mildred Pierce, she now is some TIFF buzz for two possible titles which may be premiering here in September.  Both Steven Soderbergh's Contagion and Roman Polanski's Carnage in which she stars, could begin their Oscars campaign trail here in Toronto before the most discerning of Critics.

The Actress follows Angelina Jolie's lead and now appears as the face of Fashion House St. John's Fall 2011 Collection, while Jolie now is the face of Louis Vuitton.  Please, Kate!

(Photo credit: St. John)

SARAH JESSICA PARKER & ANGELINA JOLIE ARE HOLLYWOOD'S HIGHEST-PAID ACTRESSES

Sarah Jessica Parker in Toronto - March 2010

Forbes Magazine has published their list of Hollywood's Highest-Paid Actresses and right at the top unsurprisingly is Angelina Jolie. Many might be shocked though also to see Sarah Jessica Parker right there alongside her in a tie with both Actresses earning $30 million between May 2010 through May 2011.

Much of Parker's success though is attributed to the big numbers which Sex and the City 2 brought in last year, with it having grossed $290 million.  She can next be seen in I Don't Know How She Does It and also New Year's Eve both out later this year.  

Jolie had to work a bit harder for her money starring in two Action Flicks last year, Salt and The Tourist.  Her directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey will be released this December.

Following Jolie and Parker are Jennifer Aniston and former list-topper Reese Witherspoon who both tied with $28 million each.  Ranking in fifth is another Highest-Paid Actress, Julia Roberts with $20 million.

To see the list in full, click here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

WIN 1 OF 3 "THE TOURIST" AND "HOW DO YOU KNOW" DVD PRIZE PACKS

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment & Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven are three DVD Prize Packs up for grabs! Packs includes a copy each of The Tourist (Johnny Depp & Angelina Jolie) and How Do You Know (Paul Rudd & Reese Witherspoon)!

To qualify for the win, please leave a comment with the answer to the following question: "True or false, was The Tourist was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama at this year's Golden Globe Awards?". Three lucky winners will be drawn April 1, 2011 and this Contest applies only to readers in Canada. Good luck, Mavenati and please ensure you leave some way for me to get back to you should you win!

The Tourist and How Do You Know are now in stores in both Standard and Blu-Ray Two-Disc formats.

Thank you once again to Media Profile for their generosity in knowing what my Readers want best!  You Guys are stupendous.

NO SHORTAGE OF BEAUTY ON RED CARPET OF 68TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES

Natalie Portman at 68th annual Golden Globes

Natalie Portman looked absolutely stunning on tonight's 68th annual Golden Globes Red Carpet at the Beverly Hilton.  Dressed in a Viktor & Rolf number adorned with a beautiful Red Rose, she was Classic Hollywood. 

Appearing incredibly bored on E!'s Red Carpet Special with Ryan Seacrest talking about the preparation process for Black Swan, she appeared rehearsed and confident.  When it came to answering questions about what she plans to name her Baby, due this Summer, she fumbled for words before eventually saying "We're open for suggestions!".  

Others who stunned on the Red Carpet included Angelina Jolie in Versace, Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab, Olivia Wilde in Marchesa, Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad and both Megan Fox and Anne Hathaway in Armani.  Check out some Photos from tonight by Getty Images over at Zimbio.

(Photo credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

ANGELINA JOLIE TO LAUNCH NEW JEWELRY COLLECTION

Still from The Tourist

Angelina Jolie and upscale brand Asprey are re-teaming to launch a Collection which will be sold to exclusive Clientele only, as reported by Women's Wear Daily.

Jolie and her partner Brad Pitt previously colalborated with Asprey in 2009 on a collection which consisted of Snake-themed pieces. All proceeds from this new Collection will be donated to her Charity, Education Partnership for Children of Conflict. The Foundation is currently devoting much of its resources to the children of Haiti.

It is said some of these creations (like the one seen above) can be seen in her upcoming Film alongside Johnny Depp - The Tourist - opening this Friday.  Death by Glamour!

(Photo credit: Sony Pictures)

ANGELINA JOLIE AND JOHNNY DEPP'S THE TOURIST BUMPED UP TO DECEMBER 2010

This has gotta be a good sign. As announced previously, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Tourist starring Johnny Depp and Angeline Jolie, was to be released around Valentine's Day 2011. It appears they're either really ahead of schedule or just really confident in the quality of work here,  releasing the film December 10, 2010 now. This could only mean it's a serious Oscar contender.

The film is about an American man named Frank (Depp) who visits Italy after having his heart broken, only to fall dangerously in love with the entrancing Elise (Jolie).  Bring it.

ANGELINA JOLIE AND GEORGE CLOONEY TO STAR IN MARILYN MONROE MOVIE

Yet another Marilyn Monroe movie is in the works, but this one appears to be the biggest one yet.  Angelina Jolie and George Clooney are said to be "definites" according to The Guardian in a film adaption of Andrew O'Hagan's novel The Life and Opinion of Maf The Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe. 

Why the name Maf, you ask?  It is the stuff of legends that Frank Sinatra (to be played by Clooney) bought Monroe (Jolie) the White French Poodle as a gift and her name was chosen because of Sinatra's ties to the Mafia.  The dog was under the care of Monroe for two years before she passed away, before Maf was given to Sinatra's secretary Gloria Lovell.

Count this as the third film to begin production about the iconic figure.  Michelle Williams, currently in Toronto, is tapped to star in My Week with Marilyn, while Naomi Watts is also set to begin work on Blonde, both listed now as being in Pre-Production.  Somebody better start investing some stock in Clairol and L'Oreal as we can expect the return of The Blonde very soon!

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON WRAPS UP

Now I wish we had something like this in Toronto, but I suppose TIFF will have to do!  The 41st annual San Diego Comic-Con held at the San Deigo Convention Centre just wrapped-up and it is said that over 120,000 fans attended the event this year.  The Pop Culture convention gives fans an opportunity to connect with their favourite icons and get the scoop on forthcoming projects pertaining to a Superhero, Comic, Fantasy or Sci-Fi nature. 

Stars to turn up this year included the likes of Seth Rogen, Ryan Reynolds, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, cast members of Glee and many, many more.

Check out these photos below from the festivities:

ANGELINA JOLIE SALT REVIEW

Salt isn't a very good movie in all honesty, but you just cannot keep your bloody eyes off the screen for the 100 minutes of a hot mess that it is. Please don't get me wrong, despite having a limited range as an actress, Angelina Jolie is fantastic at what she does. Nobody does dead-pan, sexy action-hero like Jolie but this is far from her best work. The problems here all lie in Kurt Wimmer's (Thomas Crown Affair, The Recruit) near non-existent script and director Phillip Noyce's over-dependency on action sequences (albeit amazing), even when they aren't needed.

The story revolves around CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Jolie) who we learn is a great asset to the Secret Service, undergoing torture and interrogation by the North Koreans at the beginning of the film; she is suspected of being an American spy. She denies this vehemently before being released back to the U.S. with the help of Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber), when of course we realize that she is in fact a Spy after all. We see that she is greeted by her husband Mike Krause (August Diehl) and get a bit of back story on their relationship. Mike is an author and despite her hesitations, they fall in love even knowing the risks involved in marrying a Secret Agent.

POURING THE SALT: NEW ANGELINA JOLIE FILM WINS RAVES

So the first few reviews for Angelina Jolie's new Action-Thriller Salt have surfaced and it seems to have hit all the right notes with some key Tastemakers.  Here's what critics are saying about the Philip Noyce (The Quiet American, Clear and Present Danger) film:

"Noyce rolls up his sleeves and delivers an unpretentious piece of action-movie craftsmanship that proves worthy of its star's own consummate professionalism." - Justin Chang, Variety

"While preposterous at every turn, Salt is a better Bond movie than most recent Bond movies, as its makers keep the stunts real and severely limit CGI gimmickry." - Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter

THE TOURIST STILL WITH ANGELINA JOLIE AND JOHNNY DEPP

There couldn't be a more perfect pairing. Check out this just-released still of Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp who both star in German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Tourist.  The film hits theatres around Valentine's Day 2011 and follows the story of Frank (Johnny Depp) who visits Italy after having his heart broken.  He then falls in love with Elise (Angelina Jolie) while on vacation; a dangerous move.  The romance genre has been lacking lately hasn't it?  Hopefully The Tourist, from Spyglass Entertainment, will spark some sort of a revival.