With Brenton Thwaites fully committed to the live-action Titans series over at Warner Bros. and its new-fangled DC Universe, Disney has cast Harris Dickinson as the prince and all-around love interest of Maleficent 2.
Variety has the scoop, confirming that Dickinson, who portrays J. Paul Getty III in FX’s limited series Trust, now joins Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning and Deadpool‘s Ed Skrein for the fantastical sequel. Michelle Pfeiffer of Ant-Man and the Wasp is said to be negotiating for the role of Dickinson’s mother, the queen, though it’s yet to be confirmed whether that deal has placed.
Behind the lens for this one is Joachim Rønning who, incidentally, worked alongside Brenton Thwaites for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Alas, he’s since vacated his role for Dickinson, with Maleficent 2 expected to get the cameras rolling by the early stages of 2018. So perhaps it’ll be ready in time for late 2019/early 2020? We’ll find out soon.
Story-wise, neither Disney nor Joachim Rønning have given much away, so it’s unclear as yet whether Maleficent 2 will pick up directly after the events of its predecessor or, on the other hand, incorporate some form of time-jump into its magical narrative. One thing we can tell you with absolute certainty though is that Disney has appointed Linda Woolverton (Maleficent) and Spectre co-writer Jez Butterworth to script duties, so there’s no question that the sequel is in safe hands.
The Mouse House is yet to settle on a firm release date for Maleficent 2, but we’ll be bringing you all the latest on Joachim Rønning’s fantastical sequel as it begins to coalesce. Next up for Disney’s fairytale output is Mary Poppins Returns, which sweeps Emily Blunt off her feet and into the sky this Christmas.
