Summary

• Maleficent: Mistress of Evil left the door open for a potential Maleficent 3, with a happy ending but a promise for future conflict.
• Disney has not confirmed the rumors of a Maleficent 3, but they have not shut them down either, giving hope for a continued story.
• If Maleficent 3 were to happen, it would likely take several years to be released due to the ambitious production scope of the franchise.

Disney's Maleficent: Mistress of Evil perfectly set up a continued story for the reimagined villain - so will there ever be a Maleficent 3? Based on the famous Sleeping Beauty tale, the franchise stars Angelina Jolie as the titular character. The original Maleficent premiered in 2014 and introduced the new idea that the old villain and her relationship with Princess Aurora were misunderstood. Then, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, released in October 2019, explored how the pair's story progressed after King Stefan's death - and the film certainly left the door open for a threequel.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil picks up five years after the death of King Stefan, with Aurora (Elle Fanning) now ruling as Queen of the Moors. The young woman plans to marry her beloved Phillip - the Prince of Ulstead (Harris Dickinson) - but she doesn't fully understand how much his mother, Queen Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer), despises the Moors, their fairy culture, and especially Maleficent. The sequel explores the conflict and ultimate victory of Maleficent over the power-hungry Queen Ingrith, as well as her acceptance of Aurora and Prince Phillip's marriage. Still, there may be more to the story that a Maleficent 3 could cover.

Maleficent 3 Latest News

Though there have been rumors regarding a Maleficent 3, Disney has yet to confirm that any of these are true. Though this may seem like bad news, the House of Mouse has also done nothing to shut down these rumors, so there is still hope for the Fae's continued story. After all, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil didn't perform too terribly at the box office, with a worldwide gross of about $492 million. This was a considerable drop from the first Maleficent movie's $760 million worldwide gross but could have been enough to justify Disney diving in to make the story a well-rounded trilogy.

What Could Maleficent 3's Release Date Be?

Even if Disney were to confirm a Maleficent 3 immediately, it would likely be several years before the film ever hit theaters. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil was officially announced by Disney in 2015, and the film wasn't released until 2019. This means the earliest likely release date for Maleficent 3 would be 2026 or 2027. This comes down to the franchise's rather ambitious production scope. The second film came with all the thrills of an epic fantasy, and it's likely that Disney would want to top this—and that takes time to achieve.

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 rewrite. In general, critics and 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 how Mistress of Evil sets up 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 Phillip 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.

Which Cast Members Can Return To Maleficent 3

Maleficent 3 couldn't possibly happen without Jolie and Fanning—the duos' performances make up the backbone of the Disney movie series. A recast for Diaval, Maleficent's loyal servant, would also be quite a disappointment since the character provides a lot of heart to the first two films. Prince Phillip was already recast in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, with Harris Dickinson taking over for Brenton Thwaites, so it would be frustrating to see yet another actor take on this role. Therefore, these four actors would likely need to get on board for Maleficent 3 to become a reality.

As for the additional characters of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, the majority were left with ambiguous endings that could lead to a role in a threequel. Pfeiffer's Queen Ingrith was only turned into a goat in the previous film, and though this was an implied ending for her character, she could always get turned back into a human. Ed Skrein's dark fae character, Borra, could also make a return. Ultimately, assuming the cast is willing to return, there's seemingly nothing stopping the characters of the Maleficent movies from coming together to bring audiences Maleficent 3.