While the dark sorceress received lukewarm reviews for her first solo outing in cinemas, 2014’s Maleficent did have a pretty impressive run at the box office, finishing off as the fourth highest-grossing release of that year. So, it’s not terribly surprising that production is very much underway for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, the sequel to Disney’s live action revisionist take on the classic Sleeping Beauty villain.
Of course, the eponymous dark fairy will be once more played by Angelina Jolie, whose enjoyable performance in the first Maleficent impressed even the film’s detractors. Elle Fanning, meanwhile, will also be returning as Princess Aurora, and both of them feature in the trailer up above, which gives us our first proper look at the upcoming sequel.
It’s not the meatiest preview, but the footage we have here teases what appears to be a dark Disney outing, one which looks to feature another strong turn from Jolie and some rather impressive visuals. Whether it’ll be able to overcome its predecessor’s shortcomings remains to be seen, but at the moment, we’re feeling hopeful.
If nothing else, the solid cast should hopefully help to draw people in. Along with Fanning and Jolie, we’ve got Ed Skrein (Deadpool) playing one of the villains and Doctor Strange star Chiwetel Ejiofor on board as well. Not to mention the sequel will also find room for Robert Lindsay (Galavant), Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith and Harris Dickinson (Trust) as Prince Phillip.
As far as plot details go, we understand that Mistress of Evil kicks off several years after its predecessor and explores “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.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil will conjure its way into theaters on October 18th, and as soon as Disney decides to show us a little more from the highly anticipated sequel, we’ll be sure to let you know.
