Walt Disney Studios has a string of live-action adaptations of its classic animated fairy tales. DUMBO soared through theatres this year, and audiences are anticipating both ALADDIN (with Will Smith as Genie) and THE LION KING, from director Jon Favreau. But when it came time to do a SLEEPING BEAUTY movie back in 2014, the studio reversed course, choosing instead to focus on the misunderstood queen Maleficent (Angelina Jolie).

The film was a hit, so a sequel has been ordered, and we’re learning more about the additions to the cast. While Jolie will be joined by her MALEFICENT co-stars Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton and Juno Temple, there also will be an exciting new addition to the ensemble: Oscar® nominee Michelle Pfeiffer.

“This is no fairy tale,” assures the narrator in the first teaser trailer for the October release of MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL. And the plot synopsis says that we will continue to explore the complicated relationship between the horned fairy Maleficent (Jolie) and Sleeping Beauty (Fanning).

Michelle Pfeiffer will play Queen Ingrith, and while we don’t know much about her character just yet, it’s clear that she will be an adversary to Jolie’s lead. The trailer basically pits the two of them against each other, casting Pfeiffer in whiter tones and giving almost the only bit of dialogue in the teaser to these two powerful characters staring each other down.

But we get a fantastic look at Michelle Pfeiffer and a sweet tease of her relationship with the leads in the first footage. The idea of adding Pfeiffer to this cast is incredibly exciting. She has always been fun when playing in this genre. If you haven’t ever seen STARDUST, where she acts alongside Claire Danes and Robert De Niro, it’s delightful.

The original MALEFICENT raised the bar on live-action adaptations out of Disney, earning a whopping $758 million globally. And the studio gave the sequel a major vote of confidence, shifting it from 2020 to an October 18, 2019, release date. That means we don’t have to wait very long to see how the sequel plays out.