First image of Angelina Jolie's 'Maleficent'

Disney have officially announced the start of production on 'Maleficent' and have revealed the first production still to mark the event. It sees Angelina Jolie's title character in full costume.

Jolie plays Maleficent, better known as the villain in 'Sleeping Beauty' in a reinvention of the existing narrative.

The "untold story" subgenre is becoming big business for bringing classic fantasy literature to the big screen for modern audiences. This twist has fuelled 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and 'Mirror Mirror: The Untold Adventures of Snow White' in the last few years.

The image of Jolie recalls the 1959 animated version of the tale which saw the her character adorned in a horn-shaped headpiece.

'Maleficent' is being directed by Robert Stromberg - not a famous name in the director's chair but a double Oscar winning production designer for 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Avatar' - who will bring his gift for visual storytelling to the screen.  

The legendary Rick Baker (a seven time Oscar winner!) is handling the make-up effects while 'The Lion King' scribe Linda Woolverton  has penned the screenplay.

Elle Fanning, Juno Temple, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville and Sharlto Copley round out the cast of the Disney production which is scheduled for a March 14, 2014 US release in 3D.

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