We’ve had banners and stills before, as well as a few trailers already. But as Maleficent’s release date approaches at the end of this month, Disney is keeping the film in our minds with a new set of character posters.
The film, as you’re probably aware, takes the familiar Sleeping Beauty elements and offers up an explanation why shunned fairy Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) curses the young princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) to fall into a deep sleep on her 16th birthday. Turns out there was a lot of story we weren’t told in the run up the Aurora’s birth and christening: specifically that Maleficent and those she loved were badly treated by humans such as Sharlto Copley’s King Stefan, and that left her heart cold and stony. So when the opportunity for a little payback came along, well, who could resist?
In addition to layering up the backstory, the new movie weaves in and out of the regular tale, with Aurora figuring out some of the hard truths as she goes along and Maleficent maybe not quite as thoroughly bad as she appeared.
With Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Brenton Thwaites and Kenneth Cranham among the cast, Maleficent will appear on our screens on May 28.