There's more magic in the making with the return of the Malificent cast.Almost three years ago to the day, Disney released Maleficent, a dark fantasy film exploring the story of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the “evil queen”. Starring Angelina Jolie in the title role, the story explored the relationship between the fairy who protects the Moors, a magical forest bordering the human world, and the young human princess on whom she placed a curse.
The film was praised for its feminist revision of a story many people think they know, although some critics commented that there were loose ends.
Luckily for anyone who shared the view that there just wasn't enough story, it was confirmed that production has begun for Maleficent II, with Jolie and Elle Fanning reprising their roles as the dark fairy, and Princess Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty) respectively. Fanning shared the news with a photo of the pair on Instagram, and we got very excited.
Joining the cast are Michelle Pfeiffer, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Ed Skrein (remember the anti-whitewashing hero?), while Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville return to their roles.
The sequel promises to further explore the complex relationship between Maleficent and Aurora, as they struggle to protect the Moors and the creatures who live there.
Presumably it's going to be at least a couple of years before we see the return of these magical characters, so in the meantime, enjoy this throwback to the first film.