Dan Trachtenberg, the director credited with revitalizing the Predator franchise with the critically acclaimed film Prey, is reportedly set to direct a new movie based on Disney's Sleeping Beauty. The project, which is said to be an entirely new direction for the fairy tale, has no direct connection to the live-action Maleficent films starring Angelina Jolie. Trachtenberg is developing the concept with TV writer Rayna McClendon, while Alex Anfanger and Dan Schimpf are attached to write the script. The untitled film is expected to retain Trachtenberg's distinct directorial style.
This move marks a significant departure for Trachtenberg, who successfully revived the Predator series with Prey in 2022. He has since contributed to other projects within the same universe, including the theatrical release Predator: Badlands and the animated anthology film Predator: Killers of Killers. Fans had anticipated further work from him on the Predator franchise, but Disney, which owns the rights, appears to have different plans for the director.
While plot details for the new Sleeping Beauty film remain scarce, sources suggest it will diverge significantly from previous interpretations. Trachtenberg is currently in pre-production for an unrelated film with Paramount, indicating that his Sleeping Beauty project is likely some time away from reaching audiences.