The “Mistress of All Evil,” Maleficent, returns, but is the queen Angelina Jolie reprising her role? Here’s everything we know so far!

In its mission to recover from the difficult (in the eyes of some, read: disastrous) year at the box office it’s had, the Walt Disney Company has been reorienting its strategy to find success with its upcoming films. Disney is reportedly returning to its roots of storytelling of a high caliber.

For one, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the company had been making too many films and focusing on quantity over quality, and they would address that. At the same time, they’re also clearly focusing on sequels and live-actions to their existing franchises, and in that vein, a third installment of a fan-favorite is in the works.

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Angelina Jolie Returns to ‘Maleficent’

Per the latest reports from the Wall Street Journal, Angelina Jolie will be reprising her role in the upcoming installment, putting on her crown of horns to be the “Mistress of all Evil” once more.

2014 saw the first movie in the Maleficent franchise, and its sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil released in 2019. The film was a Sleeping Beauty retelling from the perspective of the notorious villain known for cursing infant Princess Aurora.

While this third movie was announced back in September 2021, this is the first confirmation we’ve received that it’s still in the works.

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One of the reasons this news has confused some is because elsewhere in the WSJ interview, Jolie also seemed to imply she wanted to leave acting, and wouldn’t necessarily be in the entertainment industry today. She shared with WSJ, “I wouldn’t be an actress today,” speaking on the nature of Hollywood at present, adding that she plans to eventually leave Los Angeles.

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On the subject of returning to Maleficent’s world for the second movie during a time of trouble in her former marriage with Brad Pitt, Jolie shared: “It was a tough time. I’d been coming off a few years of difficulty, and I was not feeling very strong. In fact, I was feeling pretty broken,” she told the People magazine. “It took me a moment to feel the strength of [Maleficent] again.”

At this moment, we know nothing further about the cast except for Jolie’s return. This said, previous movies featured Sharlto Copley, Juno Temple, Harris Dickinson, Elle Fanning, and Michelle Pfeifer. In addition, Robert Stromberg and Joachim Rønning helmed the first two movies.