You can count me among the fans of 2014’s Maleficent, a dark fantasy starring Angelina Jolie as the title character. The film, directed by Robert Stromberg, humanized one of Disney’s most iconic villains, and it proved to be a pretty massive hit at the box office.
Joachim Rønning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) is directing the sequel to Maleficent, which has now begun production. Jolie and Elle Fanning are both coming back, with Deadpool star Ed Skrein also on board as the film’s villain.
The full cast has been announced today, and it includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Robert Lindsay, Harris Dickinson, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville. Michelle Pfeiffer has also been confirmed as Queen Ingrith!
The sequel “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.”
Joe Roth is producing the film, with Jez Butterworth and Linda Woolverton penning the latest script. Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster wrote the most recent draft.
