Disney has been gradually expanding its slate of live-action adaptations in recent years. Many of their animated classics have been reimagined as real-life adventures. One of the first and most popular of these ventures has been Maleficent, and as it turns out, it looks like Maleficent 3 is on the way.
The first Maleficent film was released by Disney in 2014. This iteration, which focused entirely on the titular character, featured Angelina Jolie as the notorious Disney villain. Her performance was so well-received that the film went on to earn $800 million at the worldwide box office.
Naturally, a sequel was soon greenlit. This film, titled Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, was released in 2019. However, despite the massive budget, it only made $500 million at the box office. While it’s taken a few years, it now looks like Disney is beginning to work on Maleficent 3.
This was revealed by The Wall Street Journal, in which the publication noted the following regarding Jolie:
“[Jolie] is signed on to act in several more [movies], including a third Maleficent.”
Other than Jolie’s reported involvement, any other details regarding the film are being kept under wraps. This includes who will be writing or directing the film or who will be starring alongside Jolie this time around. The first installment of the franchise was directed by Robert Stromberg, while Joachim Rønning direct the second film, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
The original Disney iteration of the character appeared in Disney’s 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty. This was additionally based upon the 1697 fairy tale by Charles Perrault.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates on Maleficent 3 as we have them. It seems as though the film is only in its early stages of development, but hopefully we’ll have more details regarding the project soon. As for now, fans will no doubt be glad to know that Angelina Jolie is set to reprise her role for a new installment.