'Maleficent 2' Release Date, Latest News: 'Pirates of Caribbean' Director Tapped for Angelina Jolie Film
"Maleficent 2" might have found its potential director. Joachim Rønning is reportedly in negotiations to helm the sequel that will star Angelina Jolie.
Rønning co-directed "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" and he's also doing the sixth installment for Disney. He is also attached to do the adaptation of "Micro" based from the Michael Crichton novel.
If the director agrees, then production for "Maleficent 2" in early 2018 will go as scheduled. Jolie earlier confirmed that she's reprising her role as Sleeping Beauty's godmother. The actress said that "Maleficent 2" will be as strong sequel.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"I'm so happy and I'm so excited," the actress said when she did a recent Q & A with children. "In truth, I really like wearing my horns and I miss them so I want to go back."
Jez Butterworth and Linda Woolverton are behind the screenplay to the "Maleficent" sequel. Butterworth wrote the 2014 Tom Cruise film "Edge of Tomorrow" and the 2015 "Spectre" James Bond movie with Daniel Craig. Wooverton wrote the first "Maleficent" movie as well as the live-action adaptations of "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King."
It's not yet known what "Maleficent 2" will focus on and if Elle Fanning will also return as Aurora, who is Maleficent's ward. In the original movie, Aurora became the queen and Maleficent proudly watched her getting crowned.
"Maleficent" earned huge box office returns when it ran in theaters in 2014. It was the fourth highest-earning film for that year, hence Disney wanted to do its sequel.
Development for "Maleficent 2," however, relied heavily on Jolie's decision as the titular character. The actress never reprised a role after doing the "Tomb Raider" movies. She reportedly turned down offers to do sequels for her previous films, "Salt" (2010), and "Wanted" (2008).
Disney has not yet set the theater release date for "Maleficent 2" but speculations are that it could be out in 2020.
