MALEFICENT II in production, cast announced!

Hey folks, it looks like MALEFICENT, the 2014 live-action film that makes the SLEEPING BEAUTY's dark witch a magic-protecting heroine of the story, is getting a sequel, MALEFICENT II is set to be directed by Joachim Rønning (PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES) and written by Linda Woolverton (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) and Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster (“Transparent”).

Original stars Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning will reprise their roles as Maleficent and Princess Aurora, with Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Imedla Staunton returning to play the pixies Thistlewit, Fittle, and Knotgrass, and Sam Riley back as Diaval the Raven. Also in the cast are Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith and Harris Dickson (TRUST) as Prince Phillip, along with Chiwetel Ejiofor (DOCTOR STRANGE), Ed Skrein (DEADPOOL) and Robert Lindsay (“My Family,”).

I didn't catch MALEFICENT until sometime after it left theaters, but I quite enjoyed its take on Maleficent as a witch who wanted to hate and destroy Aurora but grew instead to love the girl, but the story seemed to have a good cap at the end... I can only hope that they've found some new conflict that is worth revisiting these characters.

-- Precious Roy