In the Sleeping Beauty tale, the handsome prince is a bit of an afterthought (which he is in most fairytales, because as long as you’re handsome and a prince, you don’t need any other qualifications to be worth marrying), but it appears Maleficent may give him a little more to do, as it will expand the story beyond the usual bounds, telling it from the evil fairy’s point of view (played by Angelina Jolie).
Now Deadline reports that the prince has been crowned, with Home & Away actor Brendan Thwaites set to take on the role. It’ll be his job to battle his way to the castle and wake Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning).
He joins a cast that also includes Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Kenneth Cranham, Sharlto Copley, Miranda Richardson and Sam Riley. Robert Stromberg will direct, with shooting set to start later this summer.