Filming started in June on Walt Disney Pictures’ Maleficent, with Angelina Jolie playing the title character. Today, the studio revealed that the actress’ four-year-old daughter, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, has been cast as the young Princess Aurora.
Here’s the official announcement, “The Walt Disney Studios confirmed today that Angelina Jolie’s daughter Vivienne will play a minor role as the child version of Princess Aurora opposite her mother in Maleficent, which hits theatres March 2014. The live-action film explores the origins of Disney’s most iconic villain, Maleficent, and what led her to curse Princess Aurora in Disney’s animated classic Sleeping Beauty.”
Elle Fanning stars as the older Princess Aurora, with Sharlto Copley portraying King Stefan. Robert Stromberg makes his directorial debut, working from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton (Alice in Wonderland). Casting four-year-old Vivienne as Princess Aurora does give an interesting hint at where the plot is going, and raises the possibility that in this film, Aurora is actually the daughter of Maleficent.