Disney drops first look poster of Angelina Jolie's Maleficent: Mistress of Evil; film to now release in October, 2019

Disney on 6 March released a new poster for Angelina Jolie's upcoming Maleficent sequel, announcing that the film will be hitting theatres seven months ahead of schedule. Originally booked for 29 May 2020, the fantasy film will open on 18 October 2019. The poster also revealed the official title of the follow up— Mistress of Evil. 

Maleficent, based on Disney's 1959 animated hit Sleeping Beauty, portrayed the story from the perspective of its eponymous antagonist. Upon release, the film became the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2014 and the highest-grossing film which starred Jolie.

The sequel picks up several years after the events of Maleficent, when the formidable Disney villain is seen exploring her complex relationship with the soon-to-be crowned queen in the corrupt kingdom, even as she struggles to protect her moor and the magical creatures that reside within.

Apart from Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville will also return to reprise their roles in the film. However, Harris Dickinson will replace Brenton Thwaites from the first film, and Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Skrein and Chiwetel Ejiofor will join the cast as new characters.

Maleficent will clash with MGM animated version of The Addams Family and Aardman’s stop-motion animation offering Farmageddon: A Shaun the Sheep Movie.