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It has been confirmed that work is now underway on Maleficent 3, with Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie set to return as the titular Disney fairy. The Hollywood icon recently spoke with the Wall Street Journal, with Jolie hinting that she could retire from the screen soon. However, the report confirms that she “is signed on to act in several more, including a third Maleficent.”

While Jolie did not reveal any more information about Maleficent 3, it is likely that the threequel would pick up in real-time since the last we saw the character back in 2019, meaning the movie could pick up several years later. There is currently no word on whether the likes of Elle Fanning, who plays Aurora, or Sam Riley, who plays Diaval, would return alongside Jolie.

Directed by Robert Stromberg from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton, the first Maleficent introduces a twist on the tale of the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty, introducing Jolie as the titular Maleficent. However, unlike her animated counterpart, this version of the “evil” fairy is depicted far more sympathetically, who is hardened and twisted into a creature bent on revenge after being betrayed. Released in 2014, Maleficent was met with mixed reviews from critics, though Jolie was unanimously praised for her central performance. Audiences, meanwhile, were far more enamored with this story of the wronged future Disney villain.

A sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, was released in 2019, which picks up five years after the first movie and sees Maleficent facing her newfound reputation as a baddie while facing down a powerful fairy race known as the Dark Fae. The follow-up was once again met with a lackluster response from critics, though applause was again directed at Jolie.

Angelina Jolie Hints at Retirement From Hollywood

As well as confirming that Maleficent 3 is now on the cards, Angelina Jolie hinted at possibly walking away from Hollywood altogether within the next few years. In the interview, Jolie reflected on her experience in Hollywood, saying she may have opted for theater instead.

“I wouldn’t be an actress today. When I was starting out, it wasn’t as much of an expectation to be as public, to share so much.”

Jolie is now one of the most popular (and thus most highly paid) actors in Hollywood, with her personal life having been the subject of many a headline over the years. However, she asserts that she never reads anything about herself in the tabloids.

“I’ve just been around so long, and there’s been everything said.”

The daughter of actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, Jolie says she was never “impressed” with the glitz and glamor of Hollywood.

“Because I grew up around Hollywood, I was never very impressed with it. I never bought into it as significant or important.”

For now, Angelina Jolie has a few projects in the pipeline alongside Maleficent 3, including reprising the role of Master Tigress in the animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 4. Jolie will also star in the lead role in Maria, a biographical drama about the life of opera singer Maria Callas directed by Pablo Larraín and written by Steven Knight.