Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil hasn’t been an undeniable box office success, so will there ever be a Maleficent 3? Based on the famous Sleepy Beauty tale, the franchise stars Angelina Jolie as the title character. The original Maleficent premiered in 2014, while Maleficent: Mistress of Evil released in October 2019.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil picks up five years after the death of King Stefan, the father of the “Sleeping Beauty” Aurora (Elle Fanning), who now rules as Queen of the Moors. The young woman plans to marry her beloved Philip – the Prince of Ulstead (Harris Dickinson) – but she doesn’t fully understand how much his mother, Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), despises the Moors, their fairy culture, and especially Maleficent.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil explores the conflict between Maleficent and the power-hungry Queen Ingrith. The film’s storyline includes a subplot about Maleficent’s Dark Fae ancestry, resulting in a climactic battle that doesn’t end particularly well for the Queen of Ulstead. Here’s everything to expect for Walt Disney’s Maleficient 3.
Will Disney Make Maleficent 3?
Based on the box office take for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Disney will probably green light a third installment. Produced for approximately $180 to $260 million, the original Maleficent earned over $750 million in theaters and received mostly positive critic reviews. In contrast, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’s box office earnings (less than $500 million at the time of writing) haven’t exceeded expectations. As 2019 draws to a close, though, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil could just creep past the $500 million mark, thus ensuring a profit for the studio. Given that general moviegoers have reacted well to the sequel, and that there’s always potential for more merchandising profits, it seems plausible that Disney will move forward with Maleficient 3.
What Could Maleficent 3’s Release Date Be?
Due to the franchise’s ambitious scope of production, Maleficient 3 theoretically won’t release until 2022 at the earliest. If Disney keeps the same production schedule, then a 2024 premiere seems most likely. A new director will be probably be hired for Maleficient 3, this coming after Joachim Rønning replaced Robert Stromberg for the sequel.
Fans can expect Linda Woolverton to write the screenplay once again, but Disney may choose to keep the template for the first film and have Woolverton write it herself. The sequel’s script was co-written by Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and it’s worth noting that Jez Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari) was hired at one point for a re-write. In general, critics and general moviegoers seem to appreciate the franchise’s visual aesthetic, but the script turned out to be a point of concern for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’s critics.
What Could Maleficent 3’s Story Be?
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ends with a showdown between the Dark Fae and Ulstead forces. Maleficent nearly kills Queen Ingrith, but ultimately spares her life after listening to Aurora’s pleas for mercy. Unsurprisingly, Queen Ingrith takes advantage of the moment and fires an arrow at Maleficent, but the plan backfires as the Dark Fae leader transforms into the mythical Phoenix. Queen Ingrith panics and pushes Aurora off a castle ledge, yet Maleficent/Phoenix saves the day once again and promptly turns the Queen into a little goat.
As for Maleficent 3, the second installment provides a sense of finality for Queen Ingrith. Still, it’s possible that the character could return, if only because of Pfeiffer’s on-screen charisma and franchise appeal as a baddie. For the third movie, Disney will likely focus on the marriage between Aurora and Philip, and conjure up a new villain that can command the screen like Jolie. Based on critic reviews, moviegoers are hoping that Maleficent 3 will be more focused on story rather than spectacle.
