As for when Angelina Jolie will be “directing a movie again,” we’re hearing that the actress has a loose timeline in mind. The 45-year-old Maleficent star recently made it known that directing is where her true passions lie — something that became impractical after a “change in [her] family situation,” which was a hint at her split with Brad Pitt in 2016 — while speaking to Entertainment Weekly. While the mother of six admitted that this is why she “went back to doing a few acting jobs” so she could “be home more,” we learned what Angelina’s upcoming career plans are now that she is working out these “issues” with Brad.
“Since the moment she became a mom Angelina has always put her kids first. They come before anything and anyone. And with the divorce they have needed so much more of her time and attention so, as she said, taking on a big directing project just has not been feasible,” a source close to Angelina EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife, echoing what the actress herself said in her new interview. Angelina has not directed since the release of her 2017 feature, First They Killed My Father. However, “it is absolutely something she will tackle again,” our source clarifies, who adds, “She loves it but only when she can really give her all and right now her focus is still first and foremost on being a mom.”
So, what about right now? “She still wants to work but, as far as taking on an all-consuming project like directing a movie, she will wait until she feels the kids are ready for that. Until they are older,” our source further reveals, but adds, “But it won’t be that long, they’re all teenagers now.” Angelina and Brad’s youngest children — twins Vivienne and Knox — are now 12 years old, while Shiloh is 14, Zahara is 16, Pax is 17 and Maddox is already 19 and a college student.
“Angelina knows these years go by in the blink of an eye so it’s not just about what’s best for her kids,” our source continues. “She also doesn’t want to miss her time with them. She is savoring her time with her kids as much as she can, so she has no regrets about putting off directing a big project.” Indeed, Angelina takes bonding time with her children seriously — she’s often spotted out and about on shopping trips in Los Angeles with them!
“Her kids are the ultimate focus of everything, and she always emphasizes how grateful she is for every moment they agree to spend with her,” our source adds. “Like I said, they are teenagers now, so they are already starting to go all their own ways. They have their friends and all their activities, plus their schoolwork. They’re all very busy, so she doesn’t take it for granted that they still love spending time with her.”
While Angelina confessed that the end of her marriage did affect the jobs she was taking, “for the most part, her career and life are completely separate from her issues with Brad,” a second source, who’s also close to the Girl, Interrupted star, EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife. However, our second insider does say that these issues (i.e. their ongoing divorce case and custody battle) “have played a small part in her career trajectory in the last year.”
“It has just made things have an extra step to get completed. It takes a lot to be a super mom,” this source adds, referring to the loose ends Angelina and Brad have had to tend to over the past year. However, our source reveals that Angelina’s looking forward to the next chapter in her life by adding, “She is really looking forward to getting back on track though by the end of the year with her personal and professional life and return to the Angie she always has been. Her issues with Brad, though complicated, is not going to consume her in the near future. It is just something she must achieve for her own peace of mind and to move forward rather than backwards.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has, of course, also affected Angelina’s life — just like everyone else. “Angie is adapting as a single mom in a pandemic with all her kids and also wanting to do her job. It isn’t easy, and she never thought it would be,” our second source adds. “She is figuring it all out so she can still focus on her career, but it looks like more answers will come about once we get out of the pandemic and [into] more of a normal atmosphere so she can make sure everything goes as smoothly as it possibly can go.”