Angelina Jolie bought the film rights to a Catherine the Great book: ruh-roh?

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I’m very much an Angelina Jolie fan. I love her. That’s not news to anyone. But even I can admit that Angelina has some faults. One of those faults? She’s really not very good at accent work. I’ll admit that I didn’t think her English accent – mainly in Lara Croft – was all that bad, but her accent work in Alexander has probably gone down as one of the worst accents in film history. Part of the problems with that film is that no one really knew what Queen Olympias sounded like, so Angelina sort of made it up as she went along and the result was… very hokey. I bring this up because Angelina has apparently bought the rights to a book about Catherine the Great of Russia, likely because Angelina wants to play Catherine. Now think about Angelina doing some kind of old-timey Russian accent. You just cringed, didn’t you?

Angelina Jolie is set to play the nymphomaniac Catherine the Great in a new drama about the Russian empress’s scandalous love life. The Oscar-winner has bought the rights to British historian Simon Sebag Montefiore’s bestselling book about Catherine’s ‘secret’ and very open marriage to the flamboyant and ambitious Grigory Potemkin.

The character is something of a dream come true for Jolie, who has made no secret of her quest for meaty female roles. She played Queen Olympias in Oliver Stone’s 2004 Alexander The Great biopic and the title role in last year’s Maleficent – and has been on the lookout for another regal role ever since. Sebag Montefiore said: ‘I am thrilled that Angelina has optioned the book because it was my first book and it was very much a labour of love. Catherine is the ultimate feminist hero. I feel very safe with Angelina in charge of it.’

His book, Catherine The Great And Potemkin: The Imperial Love Affair, was published in 2000 and drew on 5,000 previously unpublished love letters between the pair. Catherine ascended the Russian throne in 1762 following a coup in which her husband, Tsar Peter III, was murdered. Potemkin was one of the conspirators and Catherine’s enemies always claimed she was involved in the Tsar’s death. The Empress – whose 27-year reign is regarded as a golden era in Russian history – was also a sexually liberated woman who embarked on affairs with countless men. Her enemies used her sexual conquests against her and branded her a nymphomaniac. But the highly educated Catherine was particularly infatuated with Potemkin, with whom she enjoyed secret trysts in the sauna of St Petersburg’s Winter Palace.

The couple, who were alleged to have married in secret, became co-rulers of the Russian Empire.

Sebag Montefiore said: ‘Catherine and Potemkin had history’s greatest love affair. They were both brilliant people who were totally equal and totally balanced. They were the great loves of each other’s lives and, in effect, they were one of the most successful political couples in the whole of history. By comparison, Antony and Cleopatra were a disaster whose relationship ended with failure and suicide.’

He added that Potemkin ‘was a wild character who ruled like a sultan. He travelled with gardens which were planted every night by thousands of serfs’.

How much Jolie’s production company paid for the rights is being kept a commercial secret, but one source described it as a ‘high five-figure sum’.

Jolie was first linked to the role of Catherine the Great in a separate movie mooted more than a decade ago, but that never materialised. And although the actress is being linked to the role in this new production, it is also possible that she might prefer to remain behind the camera as producer. She has already directed two films, including last year’s Unbroken, and she has made no secret of the fact that she is considering giving up acting.

[From The Daily Mail]

So, she might not even star. Although who would play Catherine then? Cate Blanchett? What would it look like to see a Catherine the Great film directed by Angelina and starring La Blanchett? That would be interesting. But if Angelina wants to play Catherine, I suspect she will. I’ve been looking up portraits of Grigory Potemkin to see if I can figure out who I would dream-cast in the role and I’m at a loss. Go here to see what the real Potemkin looked like. Like, Paul Giamatti would play that role in a real-world situation. And yes, I think Giamatti is sexy but I’m obviously very weird. Considering how bloated Leonardo DiCaprio is these days, he could easily play Potemkin. OMG. Jolie and DiCaprio? That would be…??????

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Photos courtesy of ‘Alexander’, WENN.

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169 Responses to “Angelina Jolie bought the film rights to a Catherine the Great book: ruh-roh?”

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  1. Detritus says:

    Vincent donofrio for Potemkin. Also because I want to watch him in all the things.

    • doofus says:

      He is AMAZING. I’ve been watching him in the Netflix Daredevil (as Kingpin) and he is awesome.

      • Detritus says:

        Doofus, is it weird I find him more attractive than the guy who plays daredevil?
        Because if it is, too darn bad.

      • doofus says:

        hahahaha!

        I think it’s because he’s just SO GOOD in that role…scary good.

        but I think the guy who plays Daredevil is cute in a boyish way. cannot wait for the second season.

        ETA: the way D’Onofrio delivers some of his lines reminds me of his role as “Edgar” in Men in Black…BF and I periodically say “sugar…in water” while we’re watching.

    • kri says:

      Genius. I adore him!

    • I Choose Me says:

      Thirded. Er, fifthed.

    • Kitten says:

      He’s an amazing and underrated actor.

      Also, Kaiser, Paul Giamatti is on my List of Actors that I Irrationally dislike. I’m mad at you for calling him “sexy”.

    • meme says:

      Me too. I adore him and he’s a great actor. Loved him on CI.

    • I admit to staying up until 4 am just to watch Law and Order, Criminal Intent on tv…….I didn’t realize HOW/WHY he was soooo sexy until I watched it. Good Lord.

    • lisa says:

      detective robert gorin is my tv husband, everyone step off!

  2. LadyMTL says:

    Catherine the Great was German (history nerd here) so it’d be even more interesting to hear Angelina attempt a hybrid German-Russian accent. And I’m saying this as a Jolie fan, lol.

    In all seriousness though, I think the movie would be pretty interesting, because Catherine the Great certainly didn’t have a dull life.

    • LAK says:

      THIS!!

    • Deidra says:

      She indeed was a German and she didn’t speak Russian AT ALL! That’s a funny fact about that Russian queen who didn’t bother to learn the language, but she did some great stuff to the country nevertheless…

      • DianaM. says:

        That is not true. She was fluent in Russian, but never lost German accent.

      • another nina says:

        On the contrary, she devoted significatnt efforts to learning Russian, and spoke itreally well, being aware of all its nuances. But yes, she never bothered to get rid of her German accent, which is fine, I guess.

      • EN says:

        Catherine did speak Russia, but with a German accent.

    • Esmerelda says:

      But why does she need an accent? Authenticity would demand actual Russian (or German, or French as needed) – if they’re going for an English language drama, would it not be better to stick to Received Pronunciation?

      • Lady D says:

        My question too.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Yes! This always annoys me. See Harrison Ford’s horrible Russian accent in K-19 The Widowmaker. If you’re doing the movie in English, but the characters are supposed to be speaking a different language, just do the movie in English with no accents.

  3. Anne says:

    Isn’t Catherine the Great the one who had… relations with a horse?

    • LAK says:

      propaganda, but you keep believing…..

    • Jenns says:

      200 year rumor still going strong.

      In another 200 years, on a gossip website, there will be a comment saying”Isn’t Angelina Jolie the woman who…stole Brad Pitt from that girl with the hair who was on that show about friends?”

      • V4Real says:

        LOL at this one. Don’t forget to add and she had like 20 adopted kids.

      • A says:

        Yeah I sincerely doubt she or Brad will be remembered in 200 years .
        I don’t think people realize how fickle fame is, especially these days. And neither one of them have any memorable movie role, truthfully. Especially not Angelina.
        I doubt we will see her among the Marilyn’s and Elizabeth’s on t-shirts anytime soon.
        You just have to have more than a moment to last and I don’t think her “humanitarian” work is enough to give her lasting fame, even after she’s gone.
        Anyway, I’m rambling and going off topic. Carry on..

      • doofus says:

        @A…well, I wouldn’t call myself a superfan like some on here, but I disagree that she hasn’t had a memorable role. I think she’s had a couple of them.

        and why did you put humanitarian in quotes? she does quite a bit of that in a very genuine way…no need to denigrate her work in that realm.

      • Dana says:

        Brad Pitt has worked with at least two significant directors, David Fincher & Terry Gilliam, which means some of his work will likely still be seen after his death.

        With the possible exception of Clint Eastwood, Angelina hasn’t really worked with directors whose filmography will be studied in the future, nor has she yet been in anything that is likely to go down in history as a classic , which is what you need to achieve cinematic immortality (e.g. actresses like Janet Leigh, Kim Novak, & Tippi Hedren, despite overall lackluster filmographies, will always be remembered because they starred in a Hitchcock movie).

        Angelina ‘s usual MO is being the best thing in mediocre movies.

      • A says:

        I have shared my thoughts on the UN work before and to sum it up a bit; I don’t believe in it. I don’t believe what they are doing is humane and it has nothing to do with Angelina. It’s bigger than that. I’ve always said the big charity organizations and international organizations are corrupt and to focus on smaller ones without the middle man and where you can see where your donations go.
        As for Angelina and her memorable roles, well, I’d say Mr and Mrs Smith and Lara Croft and maybe Girl interrupted but like I said, I just don’t think they will stand the test of time.

      • doofus says:

        but A, doesn’t she also have her own foundations outside of her UN work? and she’s built schools, etc…

        you may have reservations about the UN (and a lot of folks do, you’re not alone) but I just don’t see the need to downplay her work in that area, that’s all.

        and yes, the Girl, Interrupted role was what I was thinking of, along with Maleficent. but I also see what Dana is saying about people’s work being studied in film schools.

      • Paige says:

        @A I don’t see any celebrity now, being remembered in 200 years. Let’s see. First, let’s discredit her relationship ( Jen/Ben thread a few days ago). Now let’s discredit her acting career and her humanitarian efforts.
        @Kiddo +1

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        @A, who wrote: “And neither one of them have any memorable movie role, truthfully. Especially not Angelina. I doubt we will see her among the Marilyn’s and Elizabeth’s on t-shirts anytime soon.”

        What memorable movie role did Marilyn Monroe have??

      • Linn says:

        In another 200 years he have probably managed to destroy the planet far beyond repair.

      • missy says:

        Marilyn effed JFk…… There is her “memorable role!”.

      • mememe says:

        But (my issues with the word “stole” aside), that’s a completely factual statement. So Catherine DID have sex with a horse???

      • Tulip Garden says:

        I don’t know how well Jolie will be remembered but, as of today, I don’t think it will be in relation to a particular film role. I had thought that, maybe, she would have a kind of pop culture place in history but I am not sure how familiar even today’s teens and preteens are with her colorful past. She has been compared to Josephine Baker who, I believe, is remembered as an exotic, successful black dancer internationally when that was a feat for her race and, also, that she adopted many children. I don’t know, just thought I would throw that rambling thought out there. Also, Baker’s story was preserved in a film (which I really enjoyed) and, perhaps, Jolie will be too? *shrugs*.
        I’m not a fan but those are just a few observations.

      • doofus says:

        I thought Monroe’s role in “Some Like it Hot” was pretty memorable.

      • Emma - The JP Lover says:

        @Tulip Garden, who wrote: “She has been compared to Josephine Baker who, I believe, is remembered as an exotic, successful black dancer internationally when that was a feat for her race and, also, that she adopted many children.”

        I have never heard of Angelina Jolie being compared to Josephine Baker. If you have an article link supporting this claim, could you please post it? I would really like to read how whoever wrote the article came to such an odd comparison. I ‘am,’ however, aware that Angie has been compared to Audry Hepburn because of her work with UNICEF and other charities as well as humanitarian work around the world.

      • LAK says:

        Mememe: Catherine the great did not have sex with a horse. It’s a ridiculous rumour put about to discredit her which has unfortunately taken on a life of it’s own such that it’s the only thing people without a working knowledge of her life story ‘know’ about her.

        ‘know’ in quotation because they believe what they know is a lie, but they don’t know or care to know that it *is* a lie.

      • Tulip Garden says:

        Hey Emma,
        The comparison has come from comment threads on here I believe. I’ve been reading here for years so I can’t be more specific than that. I don’t know if it has ever been the subject of a comparison analysis from some magazine or other.
        I have read of comparisons to Hepburn as well. Although I couldn’t link to an article about that either. Some posters have also made comparisons to Princess Diana.
        These are all four famous women with three (excluding Hepburn, to my knowledge) that are remembered very much for their personal lives as much as their work. No two people are the same but it seems that all of these women mentioned have been noted to be involved in humanitarian work which, I believe, is what motivated Baker to adopt across national and racial boundaries. That is something that she and Jolie have in common.
        I sense that you may be looking for an insult in what I wrote where there is none intended

  4. Franca says:

    If you’re not doing it in Russian with Russian actors, don’t put on an accent at all, because it will be cringy no matter what. Just do it in English.
    Look at Hardy’s latest movie and the mess the accents were.

    Plus, I’d like to see Catherine played by someone with better acting chops than Angie.

    • Kip says:

      Exactly, ITA. I hate this trend of doing accents, it has rendered so many movies unwatchable. It’s really insulting too!

    • Jessica says:

      So much this! I’ve never understood the point of doing an accent when the characters should have been speaking a different language altogether. Why bother trying to be accurate in that regard if you’re going to have a Russian in Russia speaking English to other Russians?

      Fine if the character is speaking to English speakers throughout much of the film (most Hollywood villains), but otherwise it just draws attention to how inaccurate the whole thing is.

    • JWQ says:

      I agree with everything you wrote.

    • lana86 says:

      its probably gonna be a cheesy, flashy, nauseating disaster. But i can sort of see Blanchett as Catherine, more or less. Angie would be sooo wrong though. Even her looks alone are off for that role. She should stick to Malificent, she was pretty good at it.
      Angie s awesome person, but she’s not meaty enough for “meaty roles”. Lol, i wonder what Laura Dern might do with that role. Or someone else, who’s got talent.

      • doofus says:

        what about the woman from GOT…Gwendoline Christie? How tall is Catherine the Great supposed to be?…Christie is 6’3″. she might be perfect. and Jolie directing would prob be the best option as she WOULD do this bio right.

        ETA: I think we may need to throw some BALLS around in here…

      • Kitten says:

        I agree with your assessment of Angie.

        Laura Dern is a really great actress that I wish we saw more of.

        Ballsington Jones.

      • Tulip Garden says:

        Agree that Jolie was good as Malificent. I was surprised at how much I like her performance but I didn’t care for the movie itself. Jolie made it watchable. Also agree that the meaty roles aren’t her best performances, outside of Girl Interrupted.

      • suziekew says:

        Did no one watch and listen to Cate Blanchett’s horrible, nauseating Russian accent in Indiana Jones and Crystal Skull ….movie? Cate is a good actress but did a terrible impression of a Russian. I can only imagine if she were to use that accent in this movie. Yikes.

      • jessia says:

        Doofus
        Actually Jolie directing this would be a disaster. She didn’t get good reviews for directing TLOBAH and Unbroken. Personally, I think she should stick to acting and stop directing films. She doesn’t have the skills or talent for being a director. I think she could play Catherine.
        I don’t think Cleopatra is going to happen now, so thats why she is gonna try and play another Queen role.
        Only beautiful actresses unfortunately get chosen to play Queens and Princesses. Jolie is very beautiful. She played a Queen in Alexander right? I think Jolie does have the acting chops for this role.

    • tracking says:

      Yes, no accents please. Keep it stripped down and focused on the story vs. your usual cheesy, bloated biopic. I think she probably does want the part, since it’s so similar to Cleo in terms of political strategy and strong relationships. It would take a clear vision and supportive producers/studios to make this work, very risky.

    • Kiddo says:

      She is trying to establish herself as a director, maybe she has no intention of taking the role, herself?

      • Franca says:

        If she does, I hoep it won’t be cheesy like Unbroken was.
        When she did In The Land of Blood and Honey ( which I liked much better), they shot two versions, one in English and one in Bosnian. She.might do this one in Russian.

      • DianaM. says:

        Interesting. This is the first time I read that someone said Unbroken was cheesy. Prevalent criticism was that there was not enough emotion and connection to the main character, in other words, not enough “cheesy” moments.

      • Esmom says:

        DianaM, I doubt if this is the first time anyone called Unbroken “cheesy.” I didn’t see the movie but I read the book and I know I wasn’t alone in thinking it was a little cheesy. And that doesn’t mean that I don’t think Louis Z was a remarkable man, because he was. Or that I hate AJ. I’m just saying that because people tend to be highly sensitive to any criticism of her.

      • jessia says:

        DianaM
        Unbroken did not get good reviews and many people who watched the film did think it was cheesy. I think Angelina is a good actress, but she is not a good director sorry. I will give credit when its due, but she doesn’t have the skills or talent to be a director sorry. Unbroken should have been a mini-series infact. Or a director like Steven Speilberg or Peter Jackson would have done a good job with directing it into a film. That was a project meant for a skilled director.

    • M.A.F. says:

      I agree.

    • Alice says:

      Tilda Swinton. She would make an amazing Catherine the Great. I do however suspect that Angelina has this in mind for herself. The story looks to be along the lines of where she was pushing the Cleopatra script towards.

  5. Skinnyguy says:

    Ugh I cringe every time I think of Plsen’s fake Russian accent in Avengers 2. Most fake Russian accents sound like that chick from the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon lol.

    Side note: watched Unbroken yesterday and cried and loved it. There’s so much more to the story, which is why I avoided it so long, but it was still a great movie. Only so much of the man’s incredible life that you can fit into the movie.

  6. Maya says:

    I love Angelina and I am a certified brangeloony but I don’t think Angelina will suit as Catherine the Great especially look wise. Catherine was a big woman and not stunningly beautiful. She came to power via her intelligence and not beauty.

    However – I can difinetely see Angelina direct this movie. A strong, powerful and often critized woman like Angelina will easily tap into who Catherine was at a deeper level as Catherine was also strong, powerful and critized during her time. Knowing Angelina – this role will be a meaty role for some actress.

    I love Cate Blanchett but please no more queens for her. Marion Cotillard or Marisa Tomai will be very good in this role I think.

    PS: if the Sony emails are any indication and if Cleopatra goes through then there is a big possibility of Angelina, Leo & Daniel Day Lewis starring together with Scorsese directing. Amy Pascal retained the Cleopatra script and bought out vile Scott Rudin so the movie has not been put on the shelf yet.

    • vauvert says:

      As a huge Angie fan myself, I have no problem seeing her in this role. If you want an actress true to Catherine’s image, not sure how Tomei or the gorgeous Marion are a better fit? They are both too good looking for the role.
      However I think Angie would rather direct than act at this point as she has stated many times. Either way this is a movie I would watch!

      • Catelina says:

        I can also see her doing a great job, accent or not accent. And as for her looks, makeup can work wonders, that doesn’t concern me. I can’t think of an actress better suited for the part.

    • Viv says:

      Where did you hear that Amy Pascal bought Cleopatra from Scott Rudin?

      • Viv says:

        Just checked, and it’s listed on IMDB pro with Scott Rudin Productions. I’m pretty sure the movie won’t be made anytime soon, and probably never with Jolie.

    • another nina says:

      Elizaveta, Peter the Great’s daughter, was a big woman. Ekaterina II was short and relatively skinny judging by her dresses. She was full-faced though.

    • Ripley says:

      She’s not big by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ve always thought Jena Malone resembled CTG from her younger years.

    • M.A.F. says:

      That scenario for Cleopatra sounds like complete s**t. Just a big FAT NO. Get the correct people in those roles, no more white washing. Leo? In a Cleopatra movie? No.

    • jessia says:

      Amay Pascal did not buy the rights to Cleopatra. Its still with Rudin.
      And AJ is not a talented or good director sorry. I think she could play this role. She does have acting talent for sure but not directing talent.
      And I can’t find any actual information about Leo, Daniel Day-Lewis or Marty being interested in Cleopatra. No real confirmation either. Could you provide the links to this claim?

  7. polonoscopy says:

    This is confusing to me: There is already a Catherine the Great script that was at the top of the Black List in 2014. Is she hoping to make a b-movie version?

    • lisa2 says:

      She bought the rights to a particular book. Not a script that is already out there.

      • polonoscopy says:

        So… yes. The B-Movie.

      • lisa2 says:

        NO an option for a book.

      • Maya says:

        so.. No, not a b-movie unless it is the same script.

      • polonoscopy says:

        I’m using “B-movie” in the non-technical, just insulting sense. The existing script is in production with a major production company right now and will almost certainly completed before Angie’s is. Her movie will be an after-thought. An also-ran. The No Strings Attached of Catherine the Great movies.

  8. Lena says:

    Why would you play Catherine the Great with a Russian accent anyway? She learned to speak it quite well but she never lost her German accent, so playing her with a Russian accent would be hilarious, actually.

  9. Peanutbuttr says:

    I thought it was the Orlov brothers (with Grigory Orlov being one of Catherine’s lovers). who engineered the coup?

    • ncboudicca says:

      Yes, he was, but then was replaced by Potemkin – not sure if there was a gap with other lovers in there or not.

      • another nina says:

        yeah, there was indeed a gap between them, sufficient for Orlov’s bro Alexej, (I think) and a couple of others. BTW, there is a link to an ugly picture of Potyomkin. I;ve seen much better ones.

  10. Sway says:

    I disagree about the accent work thing. After I watched “A Mighty Heart” I was in awe – particularly because I have heard how the real Mariane Pearl talks, I’ve heard her accent and I think every actor who manages to deliver it in a film performance deserves an Oscar. Angelina did it splendidly. For those of you who don’t know, Mariane Pearl is French born with Afro-Chinese-Cuban descent, and her father is Dutch. Her accent is brutal. After Angelina’s performance in this movie, with this accent, she became the MASTER of accent work in my eyes.

    • heidi77 says:

      Totally agree- very few people have tackled an accent that was so complicated AND were able to execute it so well. I also liked her Maleficent accent- even my British mother-in-law said it was good & she generally LOATHES Americans trying to do British/Aussie accents.

    • tracking says:

      Her accent work in A Might Heart was widely criticized, and some said it cost her the Oscar nom. Which is a shame–I thought it was by far her best performance.

      • lisa2 says:

        I would like to see where it was “widely criticized” because that is not the case at all. Her accent was spot on..

    • TheOtherMaria says:

      Nope, her accent was atrocious, but her talent (as always) was undeniable.

      • Ennie says:

        The real Marianne Pearl accent is atrocious? Because she was going for her accent, not a certain country’s.

    • Em' says:

      Mariane Pearl accent is clearly French. You can hear it on the “r” and more importantly on her intonation. Whatever AJ did on A mighty heart was certainly not French, not even close.

      • Sway says:

        Mariane’s accent is French-Cuban, she herself has said that. And she’s picked up nuances from her father, who is Dutch. It’s not just French and Angelina did it perfectly.

      • Em' says:

        I listened to a youtube video of her yesterday to check. I assure you, it’s super French. I could spot it in a screaming crowd.
        That’s exactly the way I speak English when I am either tired or drunk (well my grammar is probably not as good as Mariane’s, especially is the aforementioned situation)
        It’s not a critc to Angelina’s talent as an actress, it’s just a fact. Angie went way to Dutch.

  11. jinni says:

    Yeah, I def wouldn’t want her breaking out the Count Dracula accent she used in Alexander again. Just no to Russian accented English unless they hire actual Russian actors to speak with their real accents in English. I also hope they don’t go giving everyone English accents if the cast isn’t from England. Bad accents can really take one out of what could’ve been an otherwise enjoyable film.

  12. boredblond says:

    Wayne Knight..Newman in Seinfeld..in a wig would be a dead ringer for Potempkin, but you know she’ll cast some hunky guy. Didn’t she say she was phasing out the acting?

    • Maya says:

      Let’s see – Maleficent came out last year but was shoot in 2012. By the sea is last year and we don’t even know if she is going to act in this.

      Despite being offered roles left, right and centre she only did 2 the last 5 years.

      PS: she did say that there are few roles she wanted to play before retiring from acting and focus completely on directing. She didn’t say she will stop acting this instance.

      • jessia says:

        Jolie is not offered roles left right and center. She is an in-demand actress, but she is not everyone’s first choice all the time. I get you are a fan, but stop being delusional all the time.

  13. Catelina says:

    I hope she is acting. Even if the accent isn’t good, it sounds like a character she could nail. Michael Fassbender has always had a shaky American accent and people still praise his performances. My concern is that she make sure that whiever writes the script does a good job. This story could be fascinating if told the right way but it could also be dull, and paint by numbers, without much nuance, as I thought Unbroken was. It depends on the cast and direction of course, but also depends heavily on the screenplay and Angelina biggest fault (in Hollywood terms) is not her accent at all but her spotty track record with picking up on when a screenplay isn’t good.

    • ryliak says:

      I disagree about Angie not picking good roles/scripts. Very few actresses have as diverse a filmography. As always, Angie was mocked when she did something different/unexpected when she became an action hero- an OSCAR WINNER doing an action film- look how weird Angelina is- NOW they all TRY it. Angelina is directing/writing- so weird- she needs to be mocked & diminished. It never ends, but she keeps succeeding. I’m pretty sure 99% of actors would be pleased to have half the resume that Angie has, not to mention her box office.

      • Catelina says:

        I’m not referring to the types of films she does. I don’t care if she wants to do action movies, comedies, dramas, whatever makes her happy. And I certainly am not referring to box office. I’m talking about the script itself of those movies. Angie has said herself that she chooses movies based more on the general story and not what’s written on the page and I think that’s a problem. Such a strong actress with such a long, enduring career should have a much better filmography than she does in my opinion. I forget who said this (I think Ebert) but it’s one of my favorite movie quotes- it’s not what a film is about- it’s how it’s about it. I’m excited about the possibility of her doing such a strong role because I miss her onscreen but if she’s going to be directing it then my enjoyment of the movie will probably depend on how good the script is (while she is a very competent director I don’t think she is at the level yet where she as a director can elevate a bad script into a great movie), and I don’t have the most faith in her when it comes to script picking.

      • lisa2 says:

        The person that goes through the door first is the one that gets hit the hardest.

        She gets it all the time.. People bring up her past as if it wast he worse thing in the world.. then today you see actresses saying pretty much what she said or did and they get.. OH HOW WONDERFUL she is living her life.. being so honest.
        But she is the Original and I love that she keeps doing what she is passionate about and she keeps succeeding.

  14. LAK says:

    Author: Catherine was the ultimate feminist hero

    gossip rag: Catherine was a nymphomaniac and had a scandalous marriage.

    i wonder which version hollywood wants to make?!

    • Maya says:

      Angelina has always gone for the strong feminist hero so I have no fear that she will do this version instead of the Hollywood one.

      She wanted to portray Cleopatra as the strong intelligent leader she was which is why she clashed with Rudin – he wanted the usual Cleo seducing men while Angelina wanted the feminist version.

    • Dal says:

      I adore you LAK. Often I just scroll for your comments- this one made my day.

    • Naddie says:

      I was reading about her, and her actions were hard to classify. While she was an elitist jerk, she’s also done great things for her country, so I guess it takes a hell of an actress to pull it off. I wouldn’t call her a hero, though.

      • LAK says:

        The point I was making is that the author is giving us scope to examine her life and gossip rags (and hollywood) are reducing her to sex.

      • Norman Bates' Mother says:

        As a Polish person, I cringed at the hero part. She might have done great things for her country but at what cost? She was a cruel, sadistic, manipulative murderess who brought glory to Russia by killing, enslaving and torturing innocent people, destroying nations and spreading hatred. When I hear that people like Catherine were heroes of any kind, I wonder what would have happened if Hitler succeeded – would he be considered a hero as well? She was a very competent monarch for her times, that’s for sure, but there was nothing noble or admirable about her.

      • Ennie says:

        Most rulers probably acted that way, and still probably do too in the present.
        There is usually a bad side of governing. Russia was such a huge country, much like the British empire with all its glory was, and they also did very bad things to conquer and maintain what they got. Still, Elizabeth I is very much glorified, and other rulers have been, too. I think Gandhi was not perfect either.

      • LAK says:

        Norman bates’ mother: not to defend any of these people, but yes, if Hitler had succeeded, he would be painted a hero.

        History is written by the victors and what is so often overlooked about Hitler is that when he was successful, he had the full support of the German people. He also had support across parts of the establishment of Europe. If he had won, we probably would not know about the extent of his horrors for centuries because they would not have been included in history books or been easily available to the public. They were barely known in his own lifetime.

        Further, what Ennie said. There is not aa single conquering/great ruler/empire who didn’t do terrible things including genocide and enslaving entire nations. There is hardly a ruler/empire who passes the smell test. And they were heros to their own people. From greeks to present day. It’s a matter of context and recognition that history can’t be judged by our modern way of thinking.

        On a personal note I read ‘feminist hero’ not as saying she did anything specifically heroic, but that she was able to function as a woman in her own right in a society that didn’t accept female leadership. Her position and what she did with it is an example to women the world over to take control of their own agency. That’s what makes her a FEMINIST hero.

        What she had to do to get there is worthy of a decent film, warts and all. A film that puts her in her right context, including the good, the bad and the ugly.

        What I do not want is a film that reduces her to sexual conquests and therefore a punchline.

      • Naddie says:

        I think her life and work can make an amazing film, and I also agreen she’s a feminist icon. But I still cringe at the “hero” word. Representative suits better.

  15. Ally8 says:

    Well, Catherine was born Prussian (and named Sophia) and lived there till her teens, so the accent would have to be some godawful Russian-German hybrid.

    I don’t get the accent logic; they’re all speaking English which is fake anyway. Just have them all speak in one similar English/American accent and get on with it. It would be less distracting.

  16. db says:

    I’m excited, I hope she’s able to pull this project together! Catherine was German, but I would bet French was a heavy influence as well, if not the primary language spoken at court. AJ could pull it off if she chooses a light hybrid-y accent I think.

  17. serena says:

    Jolie and Di Caprio? Nope, that would be just horrible. I’m sure they’ll glam up Potemkin to look like a semi-young and handsome man.
    As for Angelina and the accent.. ok it’s played in Russia, but why does it need to be an accent? Just make it look real, that’s all that matters.

  18. Embee says:

    Tilda Swinton as Catherine with Viggo Mortenson as Potemkin. Catherine was intelligent–but not conventionally beautiful–she was pen pals with Voltaire! She was calm and curious and extremely thoughtful.

    I would love to see this movie made by Angeline – I love her feminist take on things!

  19. Crumpet says:

    My money is on her as the director. All this talk about accent work makes me nostalgic for Bob Hoskins.

  20. Mia4S says:

    As I recall from a semester or two of history Catherine came to power around age 30 and reigned until she died at about age 70. So who could play her? Pretty much anyone!

    • Embee says:

      Oooooh! Your comment made me think of Maggie Gyllenhall!!!! She’d be AWESOME!

    • FingerBinger says:

      Catherine Zeta Jones and Juliet Binoche played her. I’d like Rachel Weisz as Catherine.

      • Ennie says:

        Catherine already played her in a 1996 movie, IIRC. There are several movies out there about Catherine. If t they want to make a big production they’d have to go with big names and pretty people to draw box office, if they do something smaller, they can go with lesser names but still good actors which can be more realistic.

    • Lady D says:

      Alex Kingston, aka Professor River Song. She would rock this role.

  21. Betti says:

    Depends on whether she’s going to direct or act in it. If she’s going to direct – it could be v good, if she’s going to act i have visions of her in Alexander where she sounded like a dodgy Russian spy – accents are not her forte.

    I prefer her as a director, loved Unbroken – she’s a good actress but peaked early in her career. She’ll be very successful behind the camera.

    As for who to play Potekin; Daniel Graig or Viggo Mortensen.

    • LA Juice says:

      Sorry, she’s too old to play Catherine- I can only hope she realizes this and decides to direct.

      • notasugarhere says:

        The book is about the relationship between Catherine and Grigory, not about her early years. They met in 1762 when Catherine was 33 and Grigory was 23. They were together for almost 20 years and the story may cover all of those two decades. She’d be playing a character from age 33 until age 53.

        Jolie just turned 40. I’d rather see a 40 year old play this than have it handed to a 23 year old starlet.

  22. EM says:

    So she lost out with Cleopatra, now she has this vehicle to satisfy her ego. Good luck to her. I hope she pulls it off, but she does really need to work on her accent.

    • A says:

      lol just what I was thinking.
      She knew she had no chance in hell to play Cleopatra so she settled for this.

      • dottie says:

        Um….she alreaday HAD Cleo. She just refused to play her the way rudin wanted. Thats why he was doing the 2-yearl old thing….rolling on the floor, screaming and lashing out. [FacePalm]

      • A says:

        Eh, what? Several directors turned it down. That was the whole point, they couldn’t get any director on board. She never “had it”, Cleo is Rudin’s project and he owns the rights to it , and they were going back and forth on writing because they hadn’t yet secured a director. If they did, no matter what the writing would end up being, she would hop on it!
        Rudin didn’t want her in the first place due to her being a “camp event” and “ego bath”.
        She was always wrong for the role, not only look-wise, but age-wise as well. Cleo was 18 years old, fair enough you can age her a bit say a 30 something could potentially play her but Angelina has always looked a good 10 years older than her age.
        Let’s not even discuss her acting and accent work…I think she has always been at her best when she played roles more close to her own personality but that goes for a lot of actors.

      • DianaM. says:

        Cleopatra was 39 when she died. How is that 18?

      • Mimi says:

        Lots of misinformation.

        They had trouble securing the director that Angelina wanted. She wanted a top notch director, not some nobody. By the way, top notch does not mean super famous, since Angelina was happy with someone like Tomas Alfredson or Cary Fukunaga. But they had no problems getting directors.

        I mean, Francis Ford Coppola was begging for the role of director for Cleo but Jolie, Pascal, and Rudin never even considered him. Also Ridley Scott was very interested but Angelina said his latest movies had been pretty bad, which is ironic since Brad Pitt starred in The Counselor.

        Also, Amy asked her lawyers to write up an agreement with Scott that would let her get the rights to Cleo without Rudin’s involvement and “Make sure nobody can badmouth each other”. In November, just a few weeks before the Sony Hack, Martin Scorsese’s lawyer was drafting up the legal documents for signing onto directing Cleopatra.

        And from NYT Business Section (February 2015) “She is additionally expected to tackle “Cleopatra,” an epic starring Angelina Jolie, which has long gestated at Sony.”

        The NYT article was about Amy Pascal’s new production company.

        The original plan was to film Cleopatra around the beginning of 2016 once Scorsese was done with Silence….

        It might still go forward, it’s just that the agreement for all this was being finalized like 2-3 weeks before the Sony Hack….so who knows how the hack affected things.

      • Paige says:

        Thanks Mimi. I think your point makes a lot of sense.

      • jessia says:

        @ Mimi
        I never heard of being Ridley Scott being interested in Cleopatra. Or any other big directors. Jolie was begging Fincher to direct and emailed him 10 times and got no response. Fincher wasn’t interested either.
        The project never got done because AJ was busy directing movies and didn’t have time to act. Scott Rudin still hold the rights to Cleopatra and was annoyed with AJ directing films while agreeing to acting in Cleopatra at the same time. They were ready to go but she was not. You can’t blame them really. Both of the films AJ directed turned out to be flops anyways. So its effort and time going down the drains. She is tool old to play Cleo now.

  23. Tiffany says:

    Nick Frost or Jack Black, both with the right makeup.

    But for creditibity Giamatti is a better bet.

  24. Claire says:

    I want her to play Catherine and a sexy actor to play Potemkin. We need some hot sexy scenes with Angie with another actor who is not Pitt. As she did it in the past with Banderas or Clive.
    Alexander Skarsgård would be a great choice.

  25. sassy says:

    i say Sean Bean would be excellent opposite Ms Jolie….

  26. kri says:

    I am so excited for this film. Catherine has always been one of the most interesting women rulers. I think AJ would do this very well . I don’t know who would play her, though. Blanchett has done Elizabeth twice (amazing). I am not feeling Winslet in it..maybe a lesser-known/unknown? Or maybe someone like Lea Seydoux? But she is so young. Decisions, decsions.

    • Betti says:

      Eva Green – LOVE her and i think she would do great things as either Catherine or Cleopatra.

  27. Tara says:

    I think she will star in it. This idea over the Cleopatra!

  28. BNA FN says:

    @Catelina, why do you call yourself a fan if Fan of Angelina, “it’s because I’m a fan that’s why I want her to be in better movies”. Then you go on to say “I’m talking about her entire acting career, from the 90’s until now, her track record with script selection has been spotty…”. If you think so poorly of her work as an actress and the choices she has made, why are you a fan? It’s easy to spot the so call fans by their comments. I would never be a fan of someone I have no respect for. I’m a fan of Angelina and I’m proud to be a fan of the Jolie Pitt’s.

    • Catelina says:

      I don’t need validation for my being a fan of her from you or anyone here, but if you must know, I think Angelina is a great actress, has great onscreen presence. She’s usually the best thing about her movies, I just wish the movies themselves were better. She deserves to be in better movies, and she could be in any movie and work with any director she wants wth her stature so it’s frustrating when she isn’t. I’m a fan because of that talent and because I have so much respect for her humanitarian work and the way she conducts herself, she seems like a very admirable, moral, intelligen person. Plus I like that she is ambitious.

  29. Paige says:

    I can see her directing and not starring in the film.

  30. s says:

    Frankly, I find Jolie’s predilection for these imperial types a bit disappointing. That book sounds like a pile of steaming embarrassment. Catherine was a terrible ruler. She had many lovers, good for her, but she also allowed slavery/serfdom to become an unmovable part of Russia.

    • LadyoftheLoch says:

      Agree to a point.

      She is a fascinating study as a powerful woman of the times, but not much of a ruler in her later years, becoming complacent to the plight of serfs and allowing serfdom to encroach into Ukraine.

      It has to be said though that she made huge strides in her early years as Empress, bringing the economy back from the brink of ruin into surplus, modernising agriculture, factory production methods, medicine and medical research, education, and the military. If only she hadn’t allowed her complicated love life to interfere with her trajectory as ruler, Catherine the Great’s legacy would be even greater, imo.

      Ellen Page for Catherine the younger.
      Cate Blanchett or Helen Mirren for Catherine in her prime years. Either would kill it.

      Angelina would be visually mesmerising as Catherine, sure, but in this instance I’d like to see her stick to directing.

      • Ennie says:

        Nah for Cate, she’s awesome and regal, but another queen? She already did Elizabeth twice and in LotR she was Queen, as well as in the Hobbit. She is a joy to watch, but I prefer to see her change it up.

    • s says:

      Lady, except her modernization attempts were fruitless and their only legacy was the mentality of intervention from above.
      Really, I don’t expect movies to be historically accurate, but I’m no fan of frothy corset dramas or fake solemn biopics. Jolie sits on a throne, should be the headline. I hope she doesn’t intend to star in it.

      • LadyoftheLoch says:

        S: I think she lost her grip, took her hands off the wheel so to speak, and ultimately let things unravel to the point where any progress was practically nullified. All because she allowed her hormones to overtake her intellect.

    • EN says:

      Catherine was a great ruler, thus the nickname. She significantly increased the territory of Russia and improved its strategic position. She modernized Russia and sponsored arts and universities.
      Her lovers are just a side note. Most of her lovers she used for political purposes since as a woman she needed male support in the ranks of the army and politicians.
      She is a Russian equivalent of Elizabeth I.

  31. Kaianne says:

    Catherine the Great
    Born: May 2, 1729, Szczecin, Poland
    Full name: Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg
    Died: November 17, 1796, Saint Petersburg, Russia
    Spouse: Peter III of Russia (m. 1745–1762)
    Former Emperor of All Russia
    Yekaterina Alexeyevna or Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great, was the most renowned and the longest-ruling female leader of Russia, reigning from 9 July [O.S. 28 June] 1762 until her death in 1796 at the age 67.

    Catherine speaks several language: Polish, German and Russian.

    • another nina says:

      She was born in Prussland, since Stettin was given to Prussland by Svedes in 1720. When was it given to Poland? After WWII, I assume? Anyway, German was native, she studied English, French and Italian at her childhood and later spent significant amount of time learning Russian. Who taught her Polish? Stanislav Ponyatovskij? When was his time – after Potyomkin but before brother Platovs?

  32. another nina says:

    Potyomkin spent rather short time in Katerine’s bedroom and moved onto something more exciting like Crimea and war with turks. He was very bright, corrupt and energetic and judging by his earlier depictions looked more like Aaron Taylor Johnson rather than Giamatti. But he needs to be played by someone with brains. So, let’s assign it to Matthias Schoenaerts…

    Brothers Orlovs or especially bros Zubovs, on the other hand, require just pure tostesteron, so why don’t we use there, say, Hemsworths…Alhough it seems that Zubovs were more of a type of pretty English actors, something along the lines of Douglas Booth, etc…

  33. Perfectly executed Chewbacca sound says:

    I’m getting Oliver Platt (whom I love) from that portrait.

  34. mkyarwood says:

    Accents nearly ruined Bram Stoker’s Dracula (but didn’t! Dracula forever!) — so I could see this going very awry. Who do we write to about changing this?

  35. anne_000 says:

    Her and Depp’s accents in the movie they did with each other were HORRIBLE. OMG. What a laff. How uncomfortable to have two American actors using phony, badly-done accents against each other.

    Tilda Swinton for Catherine the Great. I saw her in The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom. She can play both regal and formal as well as a good-looking, formidable woman.

    As for Potemkin, I thought Ralph Fiennes was very good in TGBH and his scenes with TS’s character were entertaining. The way he played his character, he had TS’s character wrapped around his little finger. They could do that in this Catherine the Great movie too.

    • Wasn’t Johnny Depp’s “accent” American i.e. not an accent at all? I’ve only seen the movie a few times, but I don’t remember him having an accent. I hated how they put Johnny (when he was still hot and relatively, publicly sane) with Angelina, when he was supposed to be bumbling, fumbling…comedy relief. WHYYYYY? Who thought that was a good idea? I mean, at least Angelina got to be “The Man” in this situation, but WHYYYYY?

      • Flower says:

        Johnny.s character was bumbling and fumbling in the same way the main character in the Scarlet Pimpernel was seen as an effeminant fop when he was really just playing a part. In the Tourist it was supposed to be the disguise of his main charcater but unfortunately the movie was so badly written and directed you were just exasperated with Johnny until the very end when you figured out why his character was such a twit, by then it was far too late and no one cared.

  36. Sarah says:

    I can totally see a slightly heavier Kenneth Branagh playing Potemkin.

  37. Samantha says:

    Ugh, why are they still referring to her as a nymphomaniac? She had lots of lovers. It was kind of what the monarchy did. But since she’s a woman, obviously there had to have been something wrong with her.

    I think this sounds awesome — that book is tremendously good. LOVE the idea of Blanchett, although surely we can let someone else play one of the great female monarchs?

    • Flower says:

      Well, there is the story of her porn room, the contents of which apparently went missing during the second world war. Plans and drawings of the furniture still exist and replicas have been reproduced, the original erotic furniture has never resurfaced. Google Catherine the Greats erotic furniture for more details and pix, NSFW.

  38. Laura says:

    Tilda Swinton was the first person I pictured as Catherine when reading this, she’d be amazing and her last substantial lead role was we need to talk about Kevin a few years ago so I’m missing her gloriousness from the award circuits…make it so Angie.

    • EN says:

      Personality wise I think Angie is a better fit. Catherine above all was fearless . Angie comes off as fearless, Tilda doesn’t.

  39. Neil says:

    It would be nice and even revolutionary if Angelina adhered to standards of beauty THEN and picked someone matching said standards. By that I mean someone who we, by modern standards would see as overweight and with a pasty white complexion (meaning not having to labour under the sun and never having to go without a full and rich meal). Not meaning to seem insulting but I wonder if someone like Adele would be a consideration.

    • Flower says:

      Only if they could act and if you want to stay true to body type and look Adele is far too pretty.

  40. Allie May says:

    Renee Zellweger received excellent training in performing with a British accent for “Miss Potter,” so surely Angelina Jolie will also undergo tutelage for the sake of her film if she does play the lead character.

  41. Flower says:

    They all need to go back to the early Hollywood play book on accents. If you look at the Historical movies , bock busters especially like The 10 Commandments, Ben Hur, War and Peace, Spartacus, War Movies in general and virtually every costume piece from the 40’s and 50’s . Everyone spoke with their own accent the difference was that the ‘goodies’ were usually American and spoke with a neutral American accent and the ‘baddies’ were overwhelmingly cast with British or foreign actors which worked to give the project an overall cohesion without distracting the audience. Fake accents are just annoying and detract from the movie. I don’t think I have ever heard anyone complain that a character didn’t have an accent it’s always the reverse.

    • EN says:

      I don’t like fake accents at all. I think everyone should speak with their usual accent. Outside of the US nobody even notices the differences in accents.

  42. Frosty says:

    Can we get Mads Mikkelsen in on this??

  43. Collin says:

    Jason Alexander or Jonah Hill.

  44. EN says:

    Catherine was German by birth and never lost her accent completely. Given that German and Russian accents in English sound fairly similar ( the main give aways are inability to pronounce “th”, hard “r” and saying “v” instead of “w” are present in both). I think Angelina should just stick with German accent and shell be fine.

  45. EN says:

    I just remembered, Angelina had to speak some Russian in Salt. And it was horrible… Worse than usual. Scarlett also spoke some as Black Widow and it was horrible too… Just stick with proper English, nobody cares. If anything the native speakers cringe when the accent is butchered.