The 18-year-old younger sister of Dakota, who has become a household name in her own right through roles in Maleficent and We Bought a Zoo, appears in a series of fierce photographs in the magazine's July issue to promote her new film, The Neon Demon.

In the pictures, photographed by Steven Klein, Fanning is shown holding a knife to her chin while wearing a sheer dress and dramatic hair and makeup.

The actress also appears alongside co-stars Abbey Lee Kershaw and Bella Heathcote, both – incidentally – Australian, for the magazine's cover, with the line "Killer Fashion".

Fanning has joined the ranks of several child stars who shed their kiddie image through a risque photoshoot.

In 2008, a then 15-year-old Miley Cyrus was appearing on the Disney Channel's Hannah Montana when she was photographed topless in a blanket by renowned photographer Annie Liebovitz for Vanity Fair.

However, after backlash from the parents of her young fan base, Cyrus released a statement saying she was "embarrassed" by the pictures.

"I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologise to my fans who I care so deeply about," she said.

In 2013, a 17-year-old Abigail Breslin posed for photographer Tyler Shields wearing just a bedsheet and a lollipop.

And last year Selena Gomez, although 22, marked her transition into adulthood for marketing purposes with a topless, Lolita-inspired shoot for V Magazine.

Fairfax Media