Disney moves forward on Maleficent sequel; hopes Angelina Jolie will return

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Disney's live-action take on Maleficent, the classic Disney villain who radiated evil in 1959's SLEEPING BEAUTY, was an enormous success for the studio; it may have cost a pretty penny but it brought in $758 million worldwide. Disney is looking to recapture some of that glory as Deadline announced today that the studio is beginning to move forward with a sequel to MALEFICENT.

Linda Woolverton, who penned the first film, has been hired to write the sequel and Disney is keeping Angelina Jolie in the loop with the hope that she will reprise her role. Angelina Jolie's involvement is not a sure thing at the moment, but it's difficult to imagine that Disney will move forward without her, especially if they're looking to get her involved at this early stage.

Here’s the synopsis for those of you who need a refresher:

MALEFICENT is the untold story of Disney's most iconic villain from the 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty. A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal – an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom – and perhaps to Maleficent's true happiness as well.

As I haven't yet gotten around to watching MALEFICENT, I'll leave it up to you folks to decide whether the ending of the first film really demanded that a sequel should follow. What say you, is a sequel to MALEFICENT something you're looking forward to?