Burton to direct Sleeping Beauty tale for Disney?

This is perhaps some of the coolest news in a while (and apropos consider it’s source). Ain’t It Cool News is reporting that Tim Burton is developing a SLEEPING BEAUTY adaptation for Disney that will be told from the point of view of villainess Maleficent (and the working title for the project is, in fact, MALEFICENT). The film would take a look story from Maleficent’s eyes kind of how the way WICKED told WIZARD OF OZ from the vantage point of the Wicked Witch.

It’s unclear if Burton would actually direct the film but it certainly looks good for him to step behind the camera. As AICN mentions, the project is being developed in a “quasi Live Actiony kinda way,” and while I’m not exactly sure what that means, I’m wondering if it’s a style similar to what Burton did with ALICE IN WONDERLAND (a film I’m hearing Disney is very, very happy with).

The obvious question that arises is what would (or HAS) happened with DARK SHADOWS, a movie that was expected to be Burton’s next and most recent teaming with Johnny Depp. Harry Knowles adds that he’s heard SHADOWS has been “stumbling” and that may give this MALEFICENT project the advantage.