Angelina Jolie's Maleficent will 'respect' classic

Los Angeles  - Angelina Jolie's Maleficent will "respect" the classic.

The 38-year-old actress stars as the titular villain, who is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" in the forthcoming film, and although they have added a new twist to the story she insists there are elements familiar with the 1959 tale of 'Sleeping Beauty' where the character originates.

In a new featurette for the Disney movie, she said: "We've respected the classic, we've tried to bring you what you love about the story.

"We also hope to hope to bring a world that you've never seen before. It's a very beautiful story, and I think it is very different from what people are going to expect."

Director Robert Stromberg revealed the film will give the audience the chance to find out the history of the character who cursed the infant Princess Aurora in the original film.

He added: "This film gives us the opportunity to find out the history of Maleficent and what drove her to the dark side."

Watch the trailer here: