Dan Trachtenberg is moving from the Predator franchise to a Disney fairy tale. The director is developing an untitled live-action film at Disney inspired by Sleeping Beauty, a project described as taking the classic story in an entirely new direction.
The concept was developed by Trachtenberg and producer Rayna McClendon. Alex Anfanger and Dan Schimpf, the duo behind Comedy Central's Big Time in Hollywood, FL, are writing the screenplay. Trachtenberg will produce alongside his longtime partner Ben Rosenblatt and Michelle Rejwan, who has produced multiple Star Wars films for Lucasfilm. At Disney, the project is overseen by Jessica Virtue, EVP of Production, and creative executive Alina Mota, reporting to Daria Cercek, president of Disney Live Action.
The project has no connection to the Maleficent films, Disney's previous attempt to reimagine the Sleeping Beauty mythology. Angelina Jolie starred in 2014's Maleficent and its 2019 sequel; this new film operates entirely separately from that continuity.
Trachtenberg's relationship with Disney goes back to Prey, his 2022 Predator prequel starring Amber Midthunder. The film arrived on Hulu to strong reviews and earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding TV Movie. He followed it with Predator: Badlands. The Sleeping Beauty project represents a significant genre shift, though Trachtenberg has consistently shown interest in familiar stories retold in unexpected frames.
No casting or release date has been announced.
