While the dark sorceress received mixed reviews for her first big screen solo outing, 2014’s Maleficent did have a rather impressive run at the box office, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing release of that year. So, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that production is very much underway for Maleficent II, the sequel to Disney’s live action revisionist take on the classic Sleeping Beauty antagonist.
Naturally, the eponymous dark fairy will be once more played by Angelina Jolie, whose commanding performance in the first Maleficent impressed even the film’s detractors. Elle Fanning will also be returning as Princess Aurora, though it seems we may have to wait a while before we see them on the big screen again. And that’s because the studio’s now dated the film and we’re being told that it won’t be here until May 29th, 2020.
Again, that’s pretty far away, and when the sequel finally arrives, it’ll have been a whopping 6 years since the original. True, many franchises have had similar, or even substantially longer gaps between films, but it’ll still be interesting to see if audiences are down to put out money for this one.
At the very least, the impressive cast should hopefully help to draw people in. Along with Fanning and Jolie, we’ve got Ed Skrein (Deadpool) attached to one of the villains and Doctor Strange star Chiwetel Ejiofor on board as well. Not to mention Maleficent II will also make room for Robert Lindsay (Galavant), Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith and Harris Dickinson (Trust) as Prince Phillip.
As far as plot details go, the sequel will pick up several years after its predecessor and explore “the complex relationship between the horned fairy and soon to be Queen.” Here’s how the synopsis reads:
A fantasy adventure that picks up several years after “Maleficent,” in which audiences learned of the events that hardened the heart of Disney’s most notorious villain and drove her to curse a baby Princess Aurora, “Maleficent II” continues to explore the complex relationship between the horned fairy and the soon to be Queen, as they form new alliances and face new adversaries in their struggle to protect the moors and the magical creatures that reside within.
So, there you have it. The wait for Maleficent II has now begun and as the pic starts to make progress on its way to that May 2020 release date, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.
