Disney has revealed that another live-action film based on a classic animated feature film is in the works.
However, this project sounds a bit different, as director Dan Trachtenberg (Predator: Badlands, 10 Cloverfield Lane) is said to be creating a film that's not a one-for-one retelling of Sleeping Beauty, as he's crafting a film that is Sleeping Beauty-inspired.
Per Deadline, "The untitled project is in early development and is said to take the story in an entirely new direction with Trachtenberg’s distinct sensibility."
Dan Trachtenberg has a knack for taking wild genre mashups, throwing in a terrifying creature, and grounding the whole thing with real, practical effects.
He's anti-shaky cam and keeps the action crisp and easy to follow, slowly cranking up the tension until you're gripping your seat in full-blown paranoia.
Given his distinct filmmaking signature, one should expect a major stylistic shift from traditional fairy-tale adaptations, as he has a track record of creating survival stories driven by resourceful protagonists.
As such, one shouldn't expect to see a Princess Aurora that's passively waiting around for Prince Charming to come save her with a kiss. It's also a safe bet that Kinberg is going to put his distinct creature lens on Maleficent- particularly her dragon form.
And speaking of the latter, Deadline reports that Trachtenberg's project has no ties to Angelina Jolie's Maleficent franchise.
Trachtenberg and Rayna McClendon (Willow, Marvel's Armor Wars) developed the story with the writing team of Alex Anfanger and Dan Schimpf (Big Time in Hollywood, FL) penning the script.
Trachtenberg is reportedly in pre-production on a top-secret pic at Paramount, so his Sleeping Beauty project is likely a few years out.
Earlier this year, he signed a 3-year deal with Paramount and teased this about the collaboration: " The Paramount deal includes an original project they’re excited about and I’m excited about. But they also have very cool toys. A lot of what I’ve made has been fueled by “no’s.” I’ve pitched bold ideas for other franchises that were too bold. So I’d take that concept and redirect it."
"Killer of Killers came from an idea I pitched elsewhere — people fighting across eras. They didn’t go for it. But it worked perfectly for Predator. Before Badlands, I pitched focusing on a creature species instead of humans. That got a no. Years later, that idea resurfaced."
There's heavy speculation that Trachtenberg's mystery project is Star Trek-related, but those rumors remain unconfirmed for now.