Disney announced on Wednesday that
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, the forthcoming sequel to the 2014 film about the iconic
Sleeping Beauty villain, has been pushed up seven months and will now release on October 18, 2019. It was previously slated to arrive on May 29, 2020.
Accompanying the announcement was the first promotional image for the highly anticipated sequel, featuring Angelina Jolie as the enchanting sorceress.
Disney's
Maleficent was released in 2014, offering a unique spin on the classic fairy tale character. The live-action reimagining of the portrayed Maleficent, played by Angelina Jolie, as a good-hearted but tragic fairy who really wasn't as bad as the animated classic movie
Sleeping Beauty made her out to be. However, judging by this whole "
Mistress of Evil" title, it sounds like she might finally be embracing her true inner wickedness.
The sequel's official logline teases:
"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 baby Princess Aurora, Maleficent 2 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."
As you can see in the poster, Angelina Jolie will be returning as the titular character. Joining her is Elle Fanning who will return as Princess Aurora. Harris Dickinson replaces Brenton Thwaites as Prince Phillip, while Michelle Pfeiffer will play Queen Ingrith. Ed SKrein and Chiwetel Ejiofor have also signed on in undisclosed roles.
Maleficent released in theaters in 2014 and earned $758.5 million worldwide. Its success jump-started Disney's push to turn its beloved animated classics into live-action films. We've since seen live-action adaptations of
Cinderella,
Beauty and the Beast,
The Jungle Book, and
Christopher Robin.
Pushing
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil to 2019 means we now have four live-action movie adaptations of Disney animated classics releasing this year:
Dumbo,
Aladdin, and
The Lion King, being the other three.