"There is evil in this world, hatred, and revenge," Angelina Jolie says.
She's not kidding. In an exclusive trailer from the Walt Disney Studios movie Maleficent, the Mistress of All Evil's right-hand raven (Sam Riley) warns her of trouble ahead. "They mean to kill you," the minion (in his human form) tells the Sleeping Beauty villain. But does Maleficent look like someone who's worried? After all, it's Maleficent who curses the young Princess Aurora (Vivienne Jolie-Pitt/Elle Fanning). Plus, it doesn't seem likely that anyone besides she has the ability to transform into a fire-breathing dragon.
In a recent featurette to promote the movie, Jolie said filmmakers were keen to honor the original characters from 1959's Sleeping Beauty. "We've respected the classic. We've tried to bring you what you love about the story," she said. "We also hope to hope to bring a world that you've never seen before. It's a very beautiful story, and I think it is very different from what people are going to expect."
Director Robert Stromberg is excited to reinvent the classic fairy tale for the big screen. "This film gives us an opportunity to find out the history of Maleficent and what drove her to the dark side," he said.
Maleficent is in theaters May 30. It also stars Sharlto Copley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.