Angelina Jolie for Maleficent 2

Angelina Jolie has signed up to star in 'Maleficent 2'.

The actress will reprise her role as the 'Sleeping Beauty' villain in the sequel to the 2014 movie, Disney has confirmed.

Screenwriter Linda Woolverton, who wrote the first movie, will also return for 'Maleficent 2'.

The news comes as somewhat of a surprise as Angelina previously insisted that there was no need for a second 'Maleficent' movie because the first was so "thorough".

When asked about making a second one, she said: "I don't know. I enjoyed it. I just feel like we did this one thoroughly and I don't think there'd be another. I feel like this is the one, if I was going to ever do a Disney one, this is the one I wanted to do."

Disney also confirmed a number of other projects including 'Jungle Book 2', with director Jon Favreau and writer Justin Marks returning and 'Cruella', a '101 Dalmations' spin-off starring Emma Stone.

Ava DuVernay's adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's 'A Wrinkle in Time', 'The Nutcracker and the Four Realms', a Tinker Bell movie starring Reese Witherspoon, 'Jungle Cruise' with Dwayne Johnson and Tim Burton's 'Dumbo' are all also being developed.

A 'Mary Poppins' sequel starring Emily Blunt and 'Hamilton' creator Lin Manuel-Miranda and directed by Rob Marshall is also being planned.