As MALEFICENT got the ball rolling on Disney's seemingly never-ending train of live-action adaptations, it was only natural that a sequel would come along. The first film told a revisionist tale of SLEEPING BEAUTY from the perspective of Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), as she curses the young Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) to eternal sleep only to discover that Aurora may be the one person who can restore peace to the troubled kingdom.
The cast for MALEFICENT 2 has been coming together in recent months, and Variety now reports that Michelle Pfeiffer is currently in advanced talks to join the sequel as the Queen. The actress has made a triumphant return to the big-screen over the past year, appearing in MOTHER!, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, and the upcoming ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, and it's been great to have her back. Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning are also set to return, and Ed Skrein (DEADPOOL) boarded the sequel last month as the villain. Plot details aren't yet known and it's not clear whether the sequel will pick up where the original left off, but Joachim Ronning (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES) is set to direct the film with production expected to begin later this year.
Michelle Pfeiffer's next film, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, is set to hit theaters on July 6, 2018.