It looks like Maleficent 2 is officially a go, with Omega Underground reporting that Walt Disney Pictures has set an April start date for the sequel to the 2014 live-action fantasy.
Given the apparent collapse of Universal’s Dark Universe and its planned Bride of Frankenstein movie, for which Jolie had long been courted, it seems the actress is now locked in to reprise her role as the Sleeping Beauty antagonist, with Joachim Ronning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) directing.
According to the site, pre-production is now underway, and cameras will start rolling on April 16th in London, with the shoot running through to August.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales co-director Joachim Rønning is at the helm of the follow-up, which finds Jolie reprising her role as the title character. The sequel takes place years after the first movie and continues to explore the complex relationship between the horned fairy and the soon to be Queen (Elle Fanning) as they struggle to protect the moors from new adversaries. So in addition to being a Maleficent follow-up, it’s also pretty much a Sleeping Beauty sequel.
