Joachim Rønning, director of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES, KON-TIKI, BANDIDAS and more has been tapped by Disney to helm the sequel to the studio's 2014 box office smash MALEFICENT. With Angelina Jolie confirmed to be reprising her role as the misunderstood sorceress, the film is expected to begin shooting during the first quarter of 2018.
This announcement comes on the heels of Disney proclaiming that Rønning will direct the next installment of the PIRATES franchise, possibly with Kaya Scodelario's Carina Smyth character taking command of a ship armed with an all-female crew. That is, if Kaya Scodelario's vision for her next turn as the sea fairing astrologist has anything to say on the matter.
At the time of its release, Disney's MALEFICENT cast a spell on moviegoers, conjuring a worldwide total of $758.5 million from their wallets. With there seemingly being more to tell from the wicked witch's side of the age-old fairytale, it should come as no surprise that the House of Mouse is looking to create a sequel.
Personally, I avoided watching MALEFICENT for quite some time, assuming that it would amount to nothing more than a heartless cash-grab at my favorite of Disney's classic princess animations. Several years after its release, I saw the film. To my surprise, I kind of loved it. In my opinion, Jolie completely owned the role of Maleficent. Really, it was like she was born to play it. I also enjoyed the dark spin on the classic tale. For what is certainly a rare occurrence, it was the kind of origin film that actually bolstered the character's mythos, giving fans another aspect of the story to contemplate and consider. I'd totally be down for a sequel, let's just hope that it's better than Universal's THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER'S WAR.
Disney's MALEFICENT sequel will begin shooting early 2018.