Disney fans, get ready for a very exciting announcement! The Prey and Predator: Badlands director Dan Trachtenberg is heading to the Enchanted Forest he has been tapped to helm a brand new Disney film inspired by the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty!
According to reports from Deadline, Trachtenberg has been developing an original story with writer Rayna McClendon, who previously wrote for the Disney+ series Willow. Alex Anfanger and Dan Schimpf co-wrote the screenplay.
A Fresh Take on a Timeless Tale
While specific plot details are still under wraps, sources confirm this project will be its own original story drawing inspiration from Disney’s beloved Sleeping Beauty — and it will be entirely separate from the Angelina Jolie Maleficent films. So if you were wondering whether this connects to those movies, the answer appears to be no. This is something fresh and new!
Producer Ben Rosenblatt, Trachtenberg’s longtime producing partner, is attached along with Michelle Rejwan, who has deep experience producing within the Star Wars franchise. That’s a seriously impressive creative team coming together for this one.
Why Dan Trachtenberg Is a Perfect Fit
If you’re not yet familiar with Dan Trachtenberg’s work, now is a great time to get acquainted. He burst onto the scene with the critically acclaimed thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane, but it’s his work reviving the Predator franchise that has really cemented his reputation as a visionary director with a gift for taking beloved IP and finding exciting new angles on it.
His 2022 Hulu film Prey was an absolute smash a Predator prequel set in the Comanche Nation in the 1700s that felt completely unlike anything the franchise had done before. Critics and audiences loved it. He then followed that up with Predator: Badlands, further proving his ability to breathe new life into existing stories.
That’s exactly the kind of creative instinct Disney needs for a project like this. Rather than a straightforward remake, the description of the film as “inspired by” Sleeping Beauty suggests Trachtenberg will bring that same inventive approach he used with Prey — honoring what made the original special while carving out bold new territory.
What We Know (and Don’t Know Yet)
At this stage, there is no release date, no confirmed cast, and no detailed plot description available. What we do know is that the project is in active development at Disney, the creative team is assembled, and the screenplay is written. That’s encouraging progress for a project that could be truly special.
Interestingly, Elle Fanning who played Princess Aurora in the Maleficent films recently starred alongside Trachtenberg in Predator: Badlands. Whether that working relationship leads to her involvement in this new project remains to be seen, but it’s a fun little thread to keep an eye on!
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one as it develops. A Sleeping Beauty-inspired film from one of Hollywood’s most exciting directors? That’s the kind of news that has us dreaming of fairy godmothers and enchanted spindles all over again.
Stay tuned to The Main Street Mouse for all the latest updates on this project and everything else happening in the world of Disney!
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