Angelina Mothers a Mythical Monster

(andPOP) - It appears that Angelina Jolie's maternal instincts extend to Grendel the monster.

The latest news from Hollywood Reporter is that Jolie has joined the cast of Beowulf, a big screen retelling of the ancient Scandinavian tale.

The Oscar-winning Robert Zemeckis will direct, using the "performance-capture" technology that turns actors into computer animations, like in his last film The Polar Express.

The movie stars Ray Winstone as Beowulf, the hero who saves the Danes from the terrible Grendel, played by Crispin Glover. The Old English epic poem, which is thought to have been written in the 8th century, chronicles the exploits of Beowulf as he seeks to slay the monster.

Jolie will play Grendel's mother. Rounding out the high profile cast are Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, John Malkovich, Alison Lohman and Brendan Gleeson.

Beowulf is slated for a 2007 release. Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction) and Neil Gaiman (MirrorMask) are writing the screenplay.

Meanwhile, MTV.com reports that Jolie started work this week on The Good Shepherd, a World War II drama about the early years of the CIA. The film, which co-stars Matt Damon, is being directed by Robert De Niro.