If ain't broke, don't fix it. While "John Carter" and "Mars Needs Moms" didn't exactly match the billion dollar success of Disney's 2010 spring entry "Alice In Wonderland," the studio is sticking with March as their early season tentpole date, and are hoping that Angelina Jolie can right the ship after two years of spring flops.
Disney has slated "Maleficent" for a March 14, 2014 release date. The live-action film will explore the origins of the evil fairy Maleficent and what led her to curse Princess Aurora in Disney’s animated classic "Sleeping Beauty." Academy Award-winning production designer Robert Stromberg ("Avatar," "Alice in Wonderland") will make his feature debut with a script from Linda Woolverton ("Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King," and "Alice in Wonderland"). The film will now face off against DreamWorks Animation's "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" which recently swapped out the leading voice role of Robert Downey Jr. for "Modern Family" star Ty Burrell. And if they're wise, they will be moving that film shortly.
One thing to note — in Disney's announcement, the name of Elle Fanning who was revealed to be in talks for the role of Princess Aurora a few weeks, isn't mentioned. Perhaps the deal didn't work out, or is still being finalized, so we'll see how that plays out soon. Production on the film will kick off in June.