Dan Trachtenberg is developing an original Sleeping Beauty movie for Disney and will direct it, according to Deadline’s report. The project is in early development and will take the classic fairy tale in a new direction. IGN’s coverage also notes that no release timeline has been disclosed.
The new film is not connected to Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent movies, Deadline reports. Its report identifies no title, cast, plot details or release date, and does not specify whether this Sleeping Beauty movie will be live-action or animated.
Sleeping Beauty movie: what has been reported
Trachtenberg developed the story with Rayna McClendon. Alex Anfanger and Dan Schimpf are writing the screenplay, while Trachtenberg will produce with his longtime partner Ben Rosenblatt and producer Michelle Rejwan, according to Deadline. Disney executives Jessica Virtue and Alina Mota are overseeing the project for Disney Live Action president Daria Cercek.
Anfanger and Schimpf previously co-created Comedy Central’s Big Time in Hollywood, FL, Deadline reports. Their involvement is a writing credit; the reporting gives no indication yet of the new film’s tone or genre.
Deadline says the plot is under wraps and the project is in early development. Its description of an original idea inspired by the tale does not establish whether Trachtenberg is remaking the 1959 film or drawing on a different part of the story.
The image above is official artwork from the 1959 animated Sleeping Beauty, not concept art for Trachtenberg’s project. Disney’s account of the original film describes its distinctive storybook design, shaped by artist Eyvind Earle. Disney says Walt wanted the film to feel like a moving illustration and gave Earle unusual control over its appearance. The reports do not say whether Trachtenberg’s version will carry over the original’s animation, character designs or medieval visual style.
Predator’s next chapter remains unconfirmed
The Disney announcement does not mean Trachtenberg has left Predator. IGN notes that Predator: Badlands and the extended cut of Predator: Killer of Killers both leave room for further stories, while neither guarantees a follow-up. A sequel setup is not the same as a production order, and the Sleeping Beauty report makes no claim about his long-term plans for the franchise.
Arnold Schwarzenegger said in March that 20th Century Studios was developing another Predator movie and that he hoped to return as Dutch. IGN also reported that Schwarzenegger had spoken with Trachtenberg about reprising the role, but there has been no further confirmation in the reporting on this Disney project. That leaves the next film’s director and timing unanswered.
A separate Paramount film is already in pre-production
Trachtenberg has another project ahead of the Disney film: Deadline says he is in pre-production on a top-secret Paramount picture. Gizmodo’s report adds that his animated horror comedy Freddy the 13th is slated for 2028, also at Paramount.
Those commitments make the Disney project’s schedule difficult to read, but the main constraint is simpler: it is still in early development, with no announced production start or release date. Disney has confirmed a director and creative team through Deadline’s reporting; it has not put the film on a public timetable. For now, it is a new project on Trachtenberg’s slate, not a replacement announcement for Predator.
Does Disney Live Action overseeing the project confirm it will be live-action?
No. The report names Disney Live Action executives overseeing the project but does not identify its format. Studio oversight alone is not confirmation that the film will use live action rather than animation.
Has Disney said whether the film will be released in cinemas or on streaming?
No distribution plan has been reported. The project is still in early development, and the coverage does not say whether Disney intends a theatrical release or a streaming debut.
