Maleficent's Magical World - New Creature Concept art (aka Maleficent [& Fairy Tales] for Boys - 1 of 2)

I'm dedicating this particular post to my son, because, apart from the dragon, ("She's a DRAGON! Like Smaug!"*) he is completely enamored of the little creatures he catches glimpses of in the trailers and TV spots. Actually, it's going to be post 1 of 2, focusing on Maleficent for boys - this is the 'art' one and the other will be... well, you'll just have to tune in and see. ;)

(All this really means for you readers, is that you'll get another post of all the other Maleficent stuff that's been released this week very soon too.)

At the head of the post if one of the new character posters, featuring most of his favorite things about the movie (although I do believe he secretly finds Maleficent pretty awesome, what with her powerful wings and then showing serious magical clout).

The rest of the images are a whole lot of newly released concept art, all of which he's asked if they can come and live with us. I kind of wish they could too. About the only things missing merchandise-wise to date are creature sculpts/dolls/toys of these little critters, but more on that in part two...

The other thing my son is fascinated by? The best-buddy raven Diaval, and that he gets transformed into many different creatures (see the wolf above, although I don't know if there's a Diaval-wolf in the final movie), all keeping some of his bird aspects. I think he particularly likes that Diaval is annoyed at getting turned into a human, because he completely relates to that.

Why am I sharing this personal stuff? Because my son, despite having as balanced an upbringing regarding girls and boys things and fairy tales as I can manage (and it's been a priority of mine), he still has a very strong sense of "that's for girls" vs "that's for boys". What this movie is showing him, unlike much fairy tale marketing these days, is that there are aspects of fantasy and fairy tale stories (that aren't mainly focused on wars and knights) that are very appealing to boys. The creatures, the transformations, talking/communicating animals, the danger and the strength - he loves it all. He loves beautiful things too (most little boys I've met love beauty, especially natural/nature beauty), so has no problem with the pretty stuff, as long as there's balance. For example, in Adventure Time, he doesn't mind spending time with Princess Bubblegum story lines because, in his eyes, the candy kingdom is more a boys' idea of candy than the typical girl's representation of all-sugar-and-sweetness and Beemo, who is a very cute girl character, is awesome to him because she's tech savvy, creative, and rocks at video games.

He is not the only one enamored of these forest beings. I recently found a post by ex-Geeky Editor at Buzzfeed, Donna Dickens (@MildlyAmused on Twitter & currently blogging at HitFix HERE) I'm going to quote a ton of because the sentiments are so very similar in our house here (emphasis in bold, and underlined and yelled, politely, in Disney's direction, is mine):

Ignore the right side of the banner. Pretend it isn't there. Yes yes, dark and gloomy. Spiky thorns. Spooky rocks. We've seen it all before. Instead, look at these super cute sentient woodland species! OH MY GOD THEY ARE ADORABLE with their little spines and big noses and rock chins and floppy ears. Who are these tiny, cuddly people? A type of fairy perhaps? Or just more mythological creatures? Doesn't matter, I'm sure they play a part in the big battle sequence implied in the trailers. 

Don't they look as if they'd be right at home in a remake of 'Labyrinth' or 'The Dark Crystal?' NOT that those need to be remade, Hollywood. Back off. Seriously. Even the little malformed ones are so cute and fluffy, which is no easy trick when you don't even have fur!. Look at those sweet doe eyes and weird but precious boomerang noses! And are those noble treants wearing loincloths? How thoughtful to remember the PG-13 rating. 

And then there's these little fellas. The one in the middle is probably grumpy because he got stuck with the two nudists. But maybe the lack of clothes means they're pets and not people? I want an elephant nosed, web-handed amorphous blob pet!. If Disney doesn't turn these two into stuffed animals, their marketing department is missing a huge squishable opportunity.

Read the whole (fantastic) post HERE.

Ah marketing. Disney would totally be taking ALL-MA-MONEH if these creatures were considered toyable. The begging and the big, giant anime eyes a kid of seven can aim in your direction, along with the double whammy of "..it's about fairy tales Mama!" is a recipe for "buy all the toys even though it means we're eating noodles for the next 3 months...". It's bad enough he's already begging me for this pricey little sweatshirt:

While I don't know much about how these creatures shown here are represented in the film, apart from the battle scenes, I can tell you that my son realizing that the idea of "fairy" in fairy tales everywhere (ie not just the stories I choose to read to him but in general knowledge), doesn't just apply to pixies with wings but also to any non-human magical creatures (right through to very powerful representations like the ent-like warrior riding the forest hog), is one of those breakthrough things. Why? It has made him more open to reading ALL the tales. It's one thing for your fairy tale obsessed mother to constantly tell you fairy tales are as much for boys as they are for girls, but when he sees evidence of that in the media, it makes an impact and (get this) sends him back to me to read him more of what I've been reading to him all along.**

The media and advertising are so very powerful and loom large in influencing our kid's ideas of how they see the world. While my son's experience may be more unique because he's already had fairy tales in his life (thanks to me), it still takes the "outside world" to show him a glimpse of the same before he'll truly take it on board. It's taken something like the Maleficent trailers for him to realize that "Adventure Time is kind of like a bunch of fairy tale stuff mixed up with weird and crazy fun stuff.." and that "Star Wars would be kind of like a fairy tale if it had trolls and castles instead of aliens and space ships and light sabers and stuff..."Now he'll even catch sight of some of the images I scroll through on Pinterest, eg a guy with antlers, and spontaneously say, "Maybe that's one of those don't-mess-with-me fairies, like Maleficent is friends with".

I am so happy he is at a "wonder-ous" age for tales and can experience all this social buzz on a fairy tale in his formative years, especially in a way that opens the road to looking back on what he's already been exposed to with delight and the way forward to even more.

Addendum: For an interesting footnote to this riff on the importance of balance, I'll share something else on the "for boys" end of the scale that made me realize this even more. My son and I watched Jack the Giant Slayer together on the weekend (with my hands at the ready to over his eyes for any potential gore) and his comment about the giants was: "Why are they so stupid? You wouldn't think giants that big and that old would be so dumb." and "Where are the nice things the giants have? If they're hundreds of years old you think they would have had lots of time to build awesome stuff and make cool and weird looking houses and forests and stuff but everything is broken and nothing is alive..." Also interesting to note, he thought the Ewan McGregor character (Captain of the Guard?) was really heroic, whereas Jack didn't seem very smart. And we agreed that Jack would make a terrible king. "That's not the Jack you named me after, is it Mama? Because I know I'm smarter than that!" You are SO right kiddo.

*Gosh I hope he's right and she really IS a dragon and it's not just Diaval.
** These reasons, more than any others, have me crossing my fingers and toes that Maleficent will be good.

"Re-enchantment: Ways To Interpret Fairy Tales" Now An iBook

If you're not familiar with Re-enchantment, it's a wonderful multimedia exploration of fairy tales, what they mean and how we use them. Inspiring for students, writers, artists and fairy tale enthusiasts in general, this is a wonderful and different fairy tale tool to have in your fairy tale library and research arsenal.

It's one of those presentations you can't quite believe has been created until you see it, and then you wonder why it has't been done before, because it makes so much sense. And it will excite you about the importance and power of fairy tales, more than ever.

I previously posted information about Re-enchantment: The Hidden Meanings Of Fairy Tales DVD HERE (and I thoroughly recommend the DVD!).

Re-enchantment is an immersive journey into the hidden meanings of fairy tales. Presented as an interactive multi-platform documentary project, it explores why fairy stories continue to enchant, entertain, fascinate and horrify contemporary adult audiences. From Rapunzel to Cinderella, and Bluebeard to Snow White, Re-enchantment challenges us to think about the hold these stories have on us and the way they are reinterpreted throughout our life and culture.

Recent good news to add to this, is that Film Art Media and Inside Out productions have also just released it in iBook form, available through iTunes.

Take a look at the intriguing trailer:

Here's more information to give you a better idea of what this project is, in case this is your first time hearing of it (emphasis in bold is mine):

Fairy tales are incredibly popular and well suited to an interactive landscape. The stories shape-shift over time and throughout cultures. They are mysterious. They can be entered from many angles and in different media. They are full of motifs and symbols. They can be interpreted in a multitude of ways that lend themselves to a multi-platform approach. 

Traditional fairy tales have a powerful hold on our cultural imagination. Adapted, revised and bowdlerised, they greet us in print and popular fiction, as a reality TV show to find an Australian princess, at the movies as Pan’s Labyrinth, Fur, Sex and the City and in advertisements for everything from Chanel to Moccona Coffee. They have been reworked by visual artists and photographers from Cindy Sherman and Corinna Sargood to Paula Rego and Rosemary Valadon. 

Rather than stripping away the mystery and enchantment, Re-enchantment shows how threading together various interpretations and versions of a story from the perspectives of psychology, social history and popular culture, deepens our connection to and fascination with the richness of fairy tales. 

Re-enchantment has been four years in the making and is groundbreaking in its originality and its scope. It is a poetic and provocative act of creative interpretation of fairy tales, bringing together digital video, documentary footage, feature film sequences, advertising, cartooning, photography, 
animation, artwork, still images and sound. 

Re-enchantment iBook Description:

Why do fairy tales continue to stir our adult imaginations? Fairy tale narratives and motifs are everywhere: in cinema, advertising, theatre, fiction and the visual arts. Why do they still enchant and entertain?  What are their hidden meanings? RE-ENCHANTMENT : WAYS TO INTERPRET FAIRY TALES, proposes new approaches to fairy tale interpretation: unlocking their archetypal motifs, symbols and psychological wisdom. 

Written by filmmaker and Jungian analyst Sarah Gibson and designed by Rose Draper, this visually stimulating eBook features video, audio, animation and stunning graphic design. It showcases re-imaginings by over thirty contemporary artists. Be curious. Be surprised. Be inspired. 

Here are the specs:

$4.99 - Available on iPad and Mac.Requirements: To view this book, you must have an iPad with iBooks 3 or later and iOS 5.1 or later, or a Mac with iBooks 1.0 or later and OS X 10.9 or later.

There's also a multimedia "multi-touch" study guide for Re-enchantment available HERE. The description is below:

Re-enchantment Study Guide by Sue Maslin & Sarah Gibson 

Re-enchantment is an immersive journey into the hidden meanings of fairy tales. Presented as an interactive iBook, it explores why fairy tales enchant, fascinate and horrify contemporary adult audiences. 

Re-enchantment provides users with an experience that is both immersive and interactive. As a creative interpretation of fairy tales, it brings together text, digital video, documentary footage, feature film sequences, cartooning, photography, artwork, still images and sound.  

$1.99 - Available on iPad and Mac.
Requirements: To view this book, you must have an iPad with iBooks 2 or later and iOS 5.0 or later, or a Mac with iBooks 1.0 or later and OS X 10.9 or later.

This book is available for download with iBooks on your Mac or iPad, and with iTunes on your computer. Multi-touch books can be read with iBooks on your Mac or iPad. Books with interactive features may work best on an iPad.

You can find and follow Re-enchantment on Facebook HERE.

by Jazmina Cininas

Ask Baba Yaga: Are People Judging Me Because I'm Single and Childless?

"She Has Curious Habits." by Dave Crosland
Created for the Hellboy 20th Anniversary Show on Friday, May 2, at Hero Complex Gallery.

In reality, there are so many version of this question: Why don't you have more than one child? Why don't you get remarried? Why don't you join a (whatever) club so you have more friends? But the thing is, even if you're generally outgoing you'll sometimes find ways you're isolating yourself, but is that a bad thing? Should we worry about it? Baba Yaga, who knows a lot about being alone, as always chimes in with some gritty goodness.

This week's question and answer (via poet and oracle Taisia Kitaiskaia* of The Hairpin):

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

There's always something freeing when I'm told, "it's OK to be you". And I couldn't be more glad that it's Baba Yaga who is saying it this time. It doesn't just apply to introvert-types either.

And as Regina Phalange wrote at the original posting:

This is lovely. And it's useful advice even for people like me - people who are emphatically NOT happiest when alone, but who are currently alone.

Thank goodness. I'll be dancing my own dance over here then (and if you hear the music, you are welcome to join me).

What do you think of Baba Yaga's advice?

Want to ask Baba Yaga a question of your own?

You can!

There's now an email address where you can send your questions

directly to Baba Yaga herself.

AskBabaYaga AT gmail DOT com

To encourage Baba Yaga to continue imparting her no-bones-about-it wisdom (ok, there may be some gristle in there... bones too), I suggest we not to leave her box empty... 

Thank you Baba Yaga (& Taisia).

* Taisia Kitaiskaia is a poet, writer, and Michener Center for Writers fellow. Born in Russia and raised in America, she's had her poems and translations published in Narrative Magazine, Poetry International, and others.

"The Leg": The New Mexican Folklore Inspired Graphic Novel with A Kick! (& Happy Cinco de Mayo!)

From the brilliant (some might say twisted) mind of Van Jensen, creator of "Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer!", comes:

"The Leg: The Remarkable Reappearance of Santa Anna’s Disembodied Limb"

And, get this, today Mr. Jensen launched a Kickstarter (I know!) to help take this (really wow - seriously, it's amazing) completed graphic novel from a limited-edition-of-one, to print for us all.

You did know there's this thing about disembodied legs in Mexican folklore and legend, right? And this is where the weird fun begins!

Note: Before you go any further I have to warn you: read a little and you are drawn in. At this point, I am totally hooked on this story! (I need more!*headdesk*) Woven in among the colorful and forbidding landscapes of both setting and story, you'll find a sentient disembodied leg, desert shamans, a giant, a wizard, a little girl (named Ana... one 'n'), possibly magical birds, vengeful skeletons, a lot of grit, a lot of humor, a bruja, tales upon tales and so much more...

Once upon a time in Mexico—more specifically, in the 1880s during the Pastry War—President Santa Anna lost his left leg when it was struck by French cannon fire. Santa Anna gave his missing limb a full military funeral (true story!). But when the Mexican people rebelled against Santa Anna (because he did insanely vain things like giving his limb a military funeral) and threw him out of office, protesters exhumed his leg, dragged it through the streets and cast it aside (also a true story!). It hasn’t been seen again…until now! 

Our story is set in 1938, when the Leg has reappeared, clad in a tall leather boot. When the Leg learns of a new threat against Mexico, it embarks on an epic journey across the country, battling with villains both modern and magical in its quest to save the country and redeem Santa Anna’s tarnished legacy. 

Will the Leg succeed in its quest? The answer lies inside THE LEG: The Remarkable Reappearance of Santa Anna's Disembodied Limb.

From Bleeding Cool (because they do a great job of nailing the flavor of this work in just a couple of sentences):

The Leg features the disembodied leg of Santa Anna adventuring through 1930s Mexico. It’s a weird pastiche of fairy tales, Spaghetti Westerns and Mexican history featuring art by Jose Pimienta, who grew up in Mexico.

1938 Mexico, a century after Santa Anna lost his left leg in battle against French invaders. Now, mysteriously, the Leg has returned, and it discovers a new threat against its beloved country. As the Leg ventures across Mexico, it will encounter the strangest elements of Mexican folklore and history, and it will come face to face with its own turbulent legacy. A pastiche of Robert Rodriguez’ Mexico trilogy and the surrealist paintings of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, THE LEG is an intensely original spin on the Spaghetti Western genre.

Launching today on Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that marks Mexico’s military triumph over France, the book is completely completed and money is being raised to cover the print bill.

Here's the Kickstarter video (which is also one of the most pleasing book trailers I have seen in ages):

I was exceptionally pleased to discover that one of the stretch goals for this Kickstarter include a Spanish Language edition of the graphic novel, which I feel is only right, and very important to help make happen.

The story, helped by the beautiful visuals, feels very Mexican with an amazing blend of political strife and grasping for power alongside a stubbornly surviving people, whose common sense and religious beliefs live side by side with their abounding superstitions and (possibly real) legends.

Inspired by random bits of folklore uttered by a professor in a Mexican history class, and ultimately illustrated by acclaimed artist and Mexican native, Jose Pimienta, The Leg shows a deep love of Latino culture, a fascination of the 'Other' and betrays a writer infused by tales and wonder.

Once Upon A Blog will be interviewing Mr. Jensen later this week to find out more about the mind and method behind The Leg, but today is launch day and besides, you need a little Mexico-folkloric in your life on Cinco de Mayo, don't you?

Start by checking out the first chapter - in full glorious color - of The Leg, which you can download directly from HERE then please consider helping the Kickstarter along, because the ultimate question we have to know is: will The Leg save Mexico?

When Fairy Tales Stray Beyond Their "Borders"...

This is a funny (as in a little skewed and strange) thing that people have latched onto: that a certain tale belongs in a certain cultural context only. As such, people get very territorial when it comes to certain tales. To me, it's means they're missing one of the best things about fairy tales - that they belong to everyone. Fairy tales show us our differences and our similarities across the world and I think it's one of the reasons they're so important for children to learn when they're young. People everywhere - in every place, culture and society - are just like you, but also unique.

As fairy tale people, you're very likely aware that there are, for example, versions of Cinderella in almost every culture in the world, meaning that the tale type is - by and large - the same, but the context and details are different. Cinderella doesn't "belong" to any ones place or peoples. only the versions of them do (and that could be debated as well, considering how those tales came to be).

There has been a lot (a LOT) of "gender-bending" illustration of Disney characters (and non-Disney fairy tale characters too, but less so) and recently I came across a "race-bending" set of illustrations by an illustration student who hosts a Tumblr titled Let There Be Doodles. While I like imagining what the stories would be like set in a different cultural context, it was the questions and responses that followed the posting of these illustrations that caught my attention.

And I was delighted to find SurLaLune being linked to as a resource for the many versions of different stories as well (Heidi - your work is so very, VERY important and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. xx)

People really are concerned and curious and I'm grateful that this exchange, at least, was done with respect and courtesy! (I left all typos and phrasing intact to keep the original spirit of the exchange):

Anonymous asked: So I want to appologise before I ask if this sounds mean spirited, I'm trying really hard not to be. But WHY would you do race bent disney characters? Like, I get wanting more POCs and that's hella. I'm all for it. But fairy tales don't make since out of their cultural context(i.e. Meg as an Egyptian, Cinderella as a Geisha, even Jasmine as African instead of Middle Eastern). So why that change? Sorry again if this sounds mean, I'm just really confused here.

(( No, you’re fine, no worries! :)
Before anything else, I’d like to point something out. Fairy tales are constantly being taken out of their cultural context. Most of the fairy tales that we know now were taken out of their original cultural context and altered. Aladdin was originally set in China. The Frog Prince was Latin, and was altered over and over again in several countries. The stories have been and can be altered in many ways. *shrugs*

Anyway, I’m not necessarily trying to alter an entire story (although it would be fun) I’m just working with character design. I create racebent characters simply for fun and because I’d love to see more diversity in our media. :) ))

To the anon who said fairy tales don’t make sense outside their cultural context…

There are actually many variations of the Cinderella story. 

As well as Sleeping Beauty. 

The Little Mermaid is a story by Hans Christian Andersen, but there are a fewvariations on that theme as well (though not nearly as many as the previous two, but I’m sure there are more.) 

There’s like a bunch of them for Snow White. 

I’m not gonna touch Hercules (or, as he’s more properly called since the movie takes place in Greece, Heracles) or any of the Hans Christian Andersen based stories like The Snow Queen/Frozen (except, of course, for The Little Mermaid.)
Fairy tales don’t have to make sense. It’s all about the story, or the message contained within it (like with Aesop’s Fables.)

And, in case you're wondering, there were people that had a problem that it wasn't just white princesses that were getting "race bent", but that's actually the point. The tales belong to the world. The variations of the tales can crop up anywhere and the tales will still be "the tales".

I don't think I really need to add much more commentary to this. I'm just really glad the conversation is happening out in social media (and going viral as a result). It's another way people are learning that there are many, many tale variations all over the world and that we share more with each other globally than many people realize.

What are your thoughts on this?

Gans' La Belle et la Bete coming to Blu-ray & DVD (but no English subtitles, or English region friendly version in sight)

The question keeps popping up on old posts or in my inbox so I thought it was high time I addressed this in a post. The questions are: Will Gans' La Belle et la Bete be coming to US/UK/Aus theaters? Will there be an English translation or subtitles if it does? How about Blu-ray/DVD - will we be getting one of those? Will that have subtitles at least??

I've been constantly searching for any news of an American, or English speaking country, release of Gan's sumptuous Beauty and the Beast remake, but whether it be theaters, a limited release/showing or DVD/Blu-ray and there has been nothing. Unless Pathé do an English international release later in the year or in 2015 (like sometimes Japanese films do) then it looks like we're out of luck at seeing it on the big screen.

(It's just so bizarre. I haven't even had luck with Canadian releases.)

I've been watching the Blu-ray/DVD announcements for other countries as well to see if there are English subtitles but so far zero. Again, it's just bizarre, especially as the feature film song had an English version so I'm a little confused. Maybe distribution agreements with Pathé haven't been working out well? 

The French DVD and Blu-ray release however, (though there are no English subtitles) is June 26, 2014 and you can find that HERE. (Note: the disc release seems pretty light on content. It looks like just the film and no behind-the-scenes footage, although some was released online as part of the marketing lead up).

 

And here is something that looks like it was created for a steel book release but apparently isn't. It's just the Blu-ray/DVD combo packaging.
✒ ✒ To see it & LOTS of behind-the-scenes & "making of book" pics click the "Read more" link below✒ ✒

Disney's Newest Maleficent is Kristin Chenoweth

Honestly, it feels a little like Disney are attempting to cover all bases left open after Maleficent with this Descendants movie.

We've been told that Maleficent "honors the classic" and that it has "all the iconic scenes you want to see" and that begs the question of whether or not Maleficent dies, just like she does in the classic (which is crazy-iconic!) and how that cuts Disney off from the possibilities of sequels once this film busts all the blocks at the box office (you know what I mean).

So, sounding suspiciously much like the far-better-than-I would-ever-have-believed-possible show and doll line, Ever After High, Disney's Descendants has its own Maleficent, complete with bratty teen offspring attempting to redeem herself (something which the classic Maleficent never got the chance to wrangle, that being motherhood, and no, the goons don't count).

And she's Kristin Chenoweth.

OK then...

I guess Glinda will walk a mile in Elphaba's shoes after all. Sort of.

It looks like they've taken a leaf out of the Once Upon A Time book for this Maleficent. She even looks a lot like the OUAT Maleficent (played by Kristin Bauer van Straten, who, it's hard to believe, played the eyebrow-raising vampire Pam in True Blood). But perhaps they'll take a note of Ms. van Straten's transformation into a fluffy villain we couldn't quite be afraid of, and send Chenoweth in the Pam-in-True-Blood vein instead (ha!).

I don't know. This seems like for all the gravitas the Maleficent film is being touted to have, regarding themes and classic scenes, Descendants is going to do its best to undo all that and make everyone just misunderstood and worthy of second (or twenty-second) chances. That way they can take the franchise in any direction. :/ I love that it would appear they're taking risks with the movie. I don't love that this sounds like something churned out from the Disney sequel-studio.

But hey, maybe I'll be wrong about it. (Right now, though, that animated office evil-queen comedy sounds far more promising to me.)

Here's the latest synopsis & cast/character details:

In a present day idyllic kingdom, the benevolent teenaged son of the King and Queen (Beast and Belle from Disney’s iconic Beauty and the Beast) is poised to take the throne. His first proclamation: offer a chance at redemption to the trouble-making offspring of Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, the Evil Queen and Jafar who have been imprisoned on a forbidden island with all the other villains, sidekicks, evil step-mothers and step-sisters. These villainous descendants (Carlos, Mal, Evvie and Jay, respectively) are allowed into the kingdom to attend prep school alongside the offspring of iconic Disney heroes including Fairy Godmother, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and Mulan. However, the evil teens face a dilemma. Should they follow in their nefarious parents’ footsteps and help all the villains regain power or embrace their innate goodness and save the kingdom?

(I'm going to go with "save the kingdom". I'll bet you a pretzel.)

Chenoweth’s Maleficent will be butting heads with her daughter Mal, played by budding Disney star Dove Cameron. Also among the cast are Booboo Stewart (X-Men: Days of Future Past) as Jafar’s son Jay; Cameron Boyce (Grown Ups 2) as Cruella De Vil’s son Carlos; Sofia Carson as the Evil Queen’s daughter Evvie; and Mitchell Hope as Belle and the Beast’s son Ben. 

Quote source: HERE 

3 New (& Wildly Different) "Maleficent" Promos With Lots of New Footage

It's Maleficent month! And the ramp-up to the release is expected to intensify.

Already we have three new official promo trailers released but they're not necessarily what you might expect.

The first, and least favorite of mine, has some odd sort of animation included at the beginning (animation that's NOT from the classic) and the voice over is female, but neither Maleficent or Aurora. There's a teensy bit of new footage here that might still interest though:

And the second, which is possibly my favorite, seems to bean exclusive to some show, and includes an interview with Angelina Jolie, in which she talks about Diaval, her (literal) wingman. This shows us quite a bit more:

(My son says her smile looks like Harley Quinn's. He may not be far off on that parallel to some degree!)

The third is a little behind-the-scenes peek at some of Aurora's scenes with a brief commentary by Elle Fanning, talking about the movie, the classic and her playing the role of Sleeping Beauty:

Here's a little more behind-the-scenes info from Elle Fanning in an interview she had with CoverMedia (I believe) in which she says she relates a lot to Sleeping Beauty. Excerpts that might interest fairy tale folk are below:

Q: You’ve taken this role very seriously, this Disney princess?
FANNING: A little bit just because I know there are so many fans of the animated movie and I don’t want to let them down; I want to do it the right way. This is the first film they ever did with Sleeping Beauty played by a person so before I started filming I went and I watched the animated movie again just because I wanted to. She has a very specific gait; her posture is very good and has little hand motions and I wanted to be sure I incorporated it in the same way that she walks and holds her dress so I tried to bring that into my version of Sleeping Beauty. 

Q: What does it mean to you to play a character that represents beauty?
FANNING: It was very exciting. Also I felt that hers is a type of beauty that is a natural beauty; she is not making herself up, she’s not doing her hair or putting lipstick on. She lives out in a cottage with her three aunties who take care of her; they make her dresses so she has her own clothes, her hair is down other than maybe she puts some flowers in it. And yeah, during the filming I wore a wig but it wasn’t much make up. It very natural and so I liked that I was kind of representing natural beauty instead of an all done up kind of beauty. 

Q: How much do you identify with her?
FANNING: I do identify with her. I guess a lot in some ways but in other ways I don’t at all. There’s one scene where she is probably the most pure and innocent princess just because she is trapped away and when she meets the prince for the first time she has never seen a male before in her life because she is so cut off. I think her curiosity comes through. I have always wanted to learn things and I try to find everything I can and absorb all I can and in that way we are alike. She wants to learn about everything. 

Q: How is the relationship between Maleficent and Aurora?
FANNING: It’s different. Our story is Sleeping beauty and it has all the iconic images that you think off when you think of the animated film but there is a lot more to it; all the questions that you have when you are watching the animated film are pretty much answered in Maleficent. And also you get to see Maleficent and Aurora together a lot in the movie. All my scenes are basically with Angelina and in the animated film they are never together. You just see her when she curses at the christening so you get to see that.

You can read the whole interview HERE.

Although I do love seeing new footage and finding out more information I do hope the movie has a lot of reveals yet to come...

And I want a making of and behind-the-scenes book, with tons of info on the fairy tale research each department underwent please!