Honestly, this took a lot longer than expected, but it’s better late than never. Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie as the titular character, was one of last summer’s biggest blockbusters. It wasn’t the first Disney live-action adaptation of an animated classic the studio has released, but its huge success has helped launch a slate of live-action adaptations of animated movies that includes this year’s Cinderella, next year’s The Jungle Book, and upcoming films like Beauty and The Beast, Pete’s Dragon, Mulan, Dumbo, Winnie The Pooh, and much more.

Of course the $758 million worldwide box office gross was more than enough reason for Disney to put a Maleficent 2 into development, but not much has changed since the film’s release. Now we are getting word that Disney is in fact developing a sequel, but some of the key members of the creative team might not be returning. More on the story below.

It’s already been over two years since we found out that Bryan Cranston, Rebel Wilson, and Mads Mikkelsen (who has since departed the cast due to scheduling conflict) had been cast in Kung Fu Panda 3, joining returning stars Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, David Cross, and Dustin Hoffman. It’s already been four years since Kung Fu Panda 2 arrived in theaters, believe it or not, on its way to $665.6 million worldwide.

Now the sequel has resurfaced as DreamWorks Animation begins promoting the movie. The first images have been released online and can be seen below, along with some quotes from the cast.

On the heels of the news that Patty Jenkins is replacing Michelle MacLaren to direct DC/Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman, comes word that Marvel could be making an offer to Angelina Jolie to direct Captain Marvel. Before Jenkins signed on, Warner Bros was considering having Jolie direct Wonder Woman. But now that the film has found a director, Marvel will be able to make an offer to Jolie in hopes that she would direct Captain Marvel. Hit the jump for more.

Maleficent
2-Disc Blu-ray l DVD l Digital HD
Directed by Robert Stromberg
Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley, Brenton Thwaites
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: Nov 4, 2014

Disney’s unexpected summer blockbuster that grossed more than $750 million worldwide arrives for its home release. Maleficent, the live-action retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale from the perspective of the evil fairy, may offer more visual spectacle than storytelling substance, but it’s far from cursed. The Blu-ray debut of Maleficent soars as an overall presentation, albeit blighted when evaluating its individual parts.

Now that Maleficent has hit theaters, surprising critics and viewers alike with its strong box office earnings during its opening weekend, one question is on every analyst’s minds. Will this trend continue? To determine its potential future success in many areas, we must evaluate the film from various angles.

Among Disney’s most hyped films since it was first announced more than two years ago, Maleficent has drawn attention for its scale and star power. The highly budgeted fantasy adventure starring A-lister Angelina Jolie as the despicable and iconic Disney villain was bound to generate anticipation. But as the past few years have shown with live-action fairy tales, their resonance with audiences can range from mighty movies (Alice in Wonderland) to weak entries (Mirror Mirror). Was Maleficent destined to perform well or fall flat on its special effects-laden face? The answer is not quite as clear.