Maleficent director Joachim Ronning has said that every parent’s “biggest fear” – their child leaving home – formed the basis for his Mistress of Evil sequel.
The Norwegian film-maker has taken over from Robert Stromberg to direct the second instalment of the Disney series, a dark retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
He told the PA news agency the tale of maternal love and loss was inspired by his own experience as a parent, and the fear his children might one day leave him.
Speaking at the film’s European premiere, he said: “Princess Aurora is becoming a woman. She is moving out. As a parent that is your biggest fear.
“Suddenly you are not the most important person in the world anymore. So then Maleficent has to deal with that. And that is difficult.”
The Pirates Of The Caribbean director added: “Certain things I really loved about the first film and what the audience and the fans out there really loved about it.
“And I think one of those things was how it grabbed you emotionally, and the relationship between Aurora and Maleficent, mother and daughter.
“I am a parent myself so I can totally relate to that. That’s what I was most interested in continuing to explore. That relationship.”
He also praised Angelina Jolie, who plays the titular dark fairy queen, for her “relentless” work on set.
He said: “She is relentless. She is such a hard-worker. We spend months working on the script and the horns, the colour of her lips. It’s hours and hours. It’s relentless.
“And I think that is the reason – that hard work – that is probably one of the reasons she is such a big star. She never stops.”
Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil opens in UK cinemas on October 18.