Director Dan Trachtenberg is shifting gears from the sci-fi action of the Predator franchise to develop an original movie inspired by the classic 1959 animated fairy tale Sleeping Beauty at Disney.
Disney is taking a distinctly different route by tapping a filmmaker whose recent resume is built on tension, creature features, and genre twists. Dan Trachtenberg is coming on to direct an untitled, early-stage project that borrows from the classic Walt Disney Animation Studios catalog without leaning on the established tropes of past iterations.
Breaking From the Maleficent Mold at Disney
Insiders confirm that this new development has no connection to the Maleficent films starring Angelina Jolie, which explored the 1959 classic from the perspective of its iconic villain. While Jolie’s 2014 fantasy film grossed $759.8 million worldwide and its 2019 sequel continued that narrative path, the studio’s latest endeavor aims for a completely clean slate.
The original animated feature, which spent nearly a decade in various stages of work after production began in 1950 before its 1959 release, was initially a box office and critical disappointment for Walt Disney. Walt Disney himself insisted on a stylized art direction that caused widespread production delays. Over the decades, however, that visual boldness earned the film a revered status among critics and audiences alike. Trachtenberg’s take promises to push the material even further away from traditional adaptations.
“an original idea inspired by the classic Disney tale Sleeping Beauty. The untitled project is in early development and is said to take the story in an entirely new direction with Trachtenberg’s distinct sensibility.”
Deadline reporting via multiple sources
Writing and Production Team Behind the Project
To bring this fresh vision to life, Trachtenberg co-wrote the initial story with Rayna McClendon. The screenplay is being penned by Alex Anfanger and Dan Schimpf, who previously co-created the Comedy Central absurdist series Big Time In Hollywood, FL. That comedic background has led trade outlets to speculate about an unexpected tonal blend for a princess-inspired story.
- Trachtenberg and his longtime producing partner Ben Rosenblatt are producing.
- Star Wars producer Michelle Rejwan joins the producing team.
- Jessica Virtue, EVP Production, oversees the film alongside Creative Executive Alina Mota.
- The production team reports directly to Disney Live Action President Daria Cercek.
Weighing Box Office Math Against Creative Risks
The pivot to a Disney fairy tale follows a creative trajectory for Trachtenberg within the action genre. His 2022 release Prey successfully revitalized the Predator franchise on Hulu, earning critical praise and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding TV Movie. He followed that up with Predator: Badlands and the animated Hulu feature Predator: Killer of Killers, which holds a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Trachtenberg’s three Predator entries are the highest-rated in the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Busy Schedule Across Major Studios
Trachtenberg maintains strong ongoing ties with 20th Century Studios and Disney for future Predator installments, but his immediate calendar is crowded with commitments elsewhere. He is currently in pre-production on a top-secret film at Paramount, where he signed a first-look deal earlier in the year. He is also attached to direct Freddy the 13th, an animated horror-comedy for Paramount Animation based on an indie comic by Yehudi Mercado, slated for a 2028 release.
With no official cast, title, or release date announced for the new fairy-tale project, plot specifics remain strictly guarded behind the scenes.