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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoachim Rønning
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Linda Woolverton
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyHenry Braham
Edited by
Music byGeoff Zanelli
Production
companies
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release date
  • October 18, 2019 (2019-10-18)[1]
Running time
118 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$185 million[3]
Box office$153 million[4]

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a 2019 American dark fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Joachim Rønning, and written by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster. It is a sequel to the 2014 film Maleficent[5], with Angelina Jolie returning to portray the title role. Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville also return to their previous roles, with Harris Dickinson replacing Brenton Thwaites from the first film and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, and Michelle Pfeiffer joining the cast as new characters.

After the release of the first film in May 2014, Jolie stated a sequel was possible. The project was officially announced the following June and Jolie signed on in April 2016. Rønning, who co-directed Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) for Disney, was hired to direct the film in October 2017 and the rest of the cast was added or confirmed in May 2018, with filming beginning that month at Pinewood Studios in England, lasting through August.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil was released in the United States on October 18, 2019, and has grossed $153 million worldwide. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the performances of Jolie, Fanning, Ejiofor and Pfeiffer, but criticism aimed at the "muddled plot and overly artificial visuals".[6]

Plot

Five years after the death of King Stefan,[N 1] Aurora continues to reign as Queen of the Moors while Maleficent serves as its protector. Despite her heroic actions, Maleficent is deemed a villain by the neighboring kingdom of Ulstead, home to Prince Phillip. When Philip asks Aurora to marry him and she accepts, Diaval, having overheard the proposal, relays the news to Maleficent, who warns against the union. Aurora insists she and Phillip will prove her wrong before persuading her to attend an intimate dinner with Philip and his parents, King John and Queen Ingrith.

On the night of the dinner, Ingrith attempts to provoke Maleficent by giving her iron silverware, mentioning the sleeping curse she placed on Aurora and openly accusing her of killing two men last seen near the Moors. Maleficent attempts to keep her composure but loses her temper after Ingrith dismisses her relationship with Aurora, seemingly cursing King John into an eternal slumber. She then flees without Aurora, who refuses to believe her claims of innocence, but falls into the ocean after being wounded with an iron bullet fired by Ingrith's servant. At the last minute, a mysterious creature with wings similar to hers saves her life.

Maleficent wakes up in a series of underground caverns where she discovers a group of winged and horned fairies of her own kind, among them Conall, their peaceful leader who saved Maleficent, and Borra, a warlike fairy who strives for an open war with humans. Maleficent discovers that she is one of the last Dark Feys, a powerful species of fairies that are almost extinct because of the human oppression. She is also told that her own bloodline ties directly to the Phoenix, an ancient and very powerful ancestor of the Dark Fey, and that is why she wields magic more powerful than the rest of her species. Both Conall and Borra believe that Maleficent is instrumental to end the conflict with humans, either by peace or war.

Meanwhile, in Ulstead, Aurora is disillusioned by her new life of a noblewoman but is happy that all of the Fair Folk from the Moors have been invited for her and Phillip's wedding. On the wedding day, though, she discovers that Ingrith, out of her deep-seated hatred for them, has been secretly plotting to eradicate all of the fairies and woodland beings, forging iron weapons and inventing a crimson powder that can instantly kill them. It is also revealed it was Ingrith who cursed John with Maleficent's old cursed spindle. As the Fair Folk gather for the wedding ceremony in the castle's chaple, they are trapped in and Gerda starts killing them with the powder. They are ultimately saved by Flittle's selfless sacrifice and Knotgrass and Thistlewit cause Gerda to fall to her death.

At the same time, the Dark Feys launch an assault on Ulstead but are being massacred by the well-prepared soldiers until Maleficent, having channeled the power of the Phoenix, joins the battle. She nearly manages to kill Ingrith but is stopped by Aurora who appeals to her good heart, calling her a mother. As the two reconcile, however, Maleficent saves Aurora from Ingrith's arrow and dissolves into ashes. Ingrith proclaims herself victorious but as Aurora weeps over the ashes, Maleficent is reborn in the form of the Phoenix.

Ingrith's soldiers stand down and the queen herself is transformed into a goat as punishment for her crimes. Phillip forges a peace pact with the fairies on the behalf of humans, Maleficent reverts back to her fairy form and gives Aurora and Phillip her blessing. After the couple are wed, Maleficent flies away with a group of young Dark Feys, promising Philip and Aurora to come back for the christening of their child.

Cast

Production

Development

On June 3, 2014, following the release of the first film, Angelina Jolie hinted that a sequel to Maleficent was a possibility.[14] On June 15, 2015, Walt Disney Pictures announced that the sequel was in the works and that Linda Woolverton would return to write the screenplay of the film.[15] Although Jolie's return to the sequel was not yet certain, the script was intended to be written with her in mind.[15] In addition, Joe Roth was reported to return as producer of the film.[15] On April 25, 2016, Disney officially confirmed Jolie's return as the title character.[16] On August 29, 2017, it was reported that Jez Butterworth would rewrite Woolverton's script while Roth was confirmed as returning as producer.[17] In September 2017, Jolie stated that they "have been working on the script and this is going to be a really strong sequel."[18] On October 3, 2017, Deadline reported that the film would be directed by Joachim Rønning and it would start filming in the first quarter of 2018.[19]

Casting

In April 2018, Ed Skrein was cast in the film to play a dark fey, with Elle Fanning returning to play Princess Aurora from the previous film.[20] Michelle Pfeiffer was also added as character described as a queen,[21] later clarified to be an evil queen[22] named Queen Ingrith.[23]

In May 2018, it was announced that Harris Dickinson would replace Brenton Thwaites in the role of Prince Phillip, due to scheduling conflicts with the latter actor.[24] Later it was also confirmed that Jenn Murray, David Gyasi, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Robert Lindsay had also joined the cast. Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville were also confirmed to reprise their roles from the prior film.[25][26][27] In June 2018, Judith Shekoni joined the cast.[28]

Filming

Principal photography began on May 29, 2018, at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England.[27][29][30] Filming wrapped on August 24, 2018.[31][32]

Post-production

The visual effects were provided by Moving Picture Company and Mill Film, supervised by Jessica Norman, Damien Stumpf, Brian Litson, Ferran Domenech, and Laurent Gillet, with Gary Brozenich serving as the Overall Supervisor.[33]

Music

On May 22, 2019, it was revealed that film's score will be composed by Geoff Zanelli, replacing James Newton Howard from the previous film.[34] The film marks Zanelli and Rønning's second collaboration, after Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.[34] Zanelli said that "the storytelling in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is fantastic", for which he said that "writing [the film's] score is a dream come true".[34] On September 20, 2019, the song "You Can't Stop the Girl" by Bebe Rexha, from the film's soundtrack, was released as a single.[35]

Release

The film was released on October 18, 2019, by Walt Disney Pictures,[1] moving up from its previously announced date of May 29, 2020.[36]

Marketing

The first teaser trailer for the film was released on May 13, 2019.[37] On July 8, 2019, the official trailer for the film was released, in which Ejiofor's character was revealed.[38] On September 4, 2019 Disney released a behind-the-scenes featurette in which the cast talk about the evolution of Maleficent's personality and some of the moral challenges each of the characters face in the story.[39] On September 10, Disney released a black and white sneak peek detailing the makeup process to transform Angelina Jolie into Maleficent.[40]

Reception

Box office

As of October 20, 2019, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil has grossed $36 million in the United States and Canada, and $117 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $153 million.[4] It is estimated the film will need to gross around $400 million worldwide in order to break even.[3]

In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Zombieland: Double Tap and was initially projected to gross $45–50 million from 3,790 theaters in its opening weekend.[41] However after making $12.5 million on its first day (including $2.3 million from Thursday night previews), estimates were lowered to $38 million. It went on to debut to $36 million, finishing first at the box office but marking a 48% decline from the $69 million opening of the first film. The under-performance was blamed on the five years between installments, poor critical reviews and competition from fellow releases.[3]

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 41% based on 178 reviews, with an average rating of 5.17/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "While it's far from cursed, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil too rarely supports its impressive cast and visuals with enough magical storytelling to justify its existence."[42] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100 based on 40 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[43] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, the same score as the first film, while those at PostTrak gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars and a 59% "definite recommend".[3]

Notes

  1. ^ As depicted in the 2014 film Maleficent.

References

  1. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 6, 2019). "Angelina Jolie Sequel 'Maleficent 2' Moves Up To Fall 2019". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  2. ^ "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil". AMC Theatres. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 19, 2019). "'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil' No Magic With $37M+, 'Joker' Still Stealing 2nd Place From 'Zombieland 2' With $28M+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Press Kit" (PDF). wdsmediafile.com. Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  6. ^ "Critics praise Angelina Jolie in 'enjoyably deranged' sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil". Entertainment Weekly. October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  7. ^ Eweniyi, Olanrewaju (July 9, 2019). "Watch: First Look At Chiwetel Ejiofor In The Trailer For The 'Maleficent' Sequel". Konbini. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  8. ^ "30 Days why i am rewatching maleficent". laughingplace.com. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  9. ^ Edwards, Chris (July 15, 2018). "My Family star Robert Lindsay teases his role in Disney's Maleficent 2". Digital Spy. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  10. ^ "Warwick Davis to Host Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019". StarWars.com. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  11. ^ "Maleficent 2 star talks about Queen Ingrith's villainous plan". digitalspy.com. 2019-08-26. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  12. ^ "John Carew". Panorama Agency. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  13. ^ Punter, Jessica. "THE YOUNG BRITISH ACTORS TO WATCH IN 2019". Mr. Porter. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  14. ^ Coonan, Clifford (August 10, 2018). "Angelina Jolie Hints at 'Maleficent' Sequel in China". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  15. ^ a b c Fleming Jr, Mike (June 15, 2015). "'Maleficent' Sequel On Disney Drawing Board As Linda Woolverton Makes Scripting Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  16. ^ Lang, Brent (April 25, 2016). "Disney Claims Dates for Several New Movies; Confirms 'Jungle Book 2,' 'Mary Poppins' Sequel". Variety. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  17. ^ Sneider, Jeff (August 29, 2017). ""Maleficent 2" Moves Forward as Disney Taps "Spectre" Scribe Jez Butterworth to Rewrite Sequel (Exclusive)". The Tracking Board. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  18. ^ Hammond, Pete (September 3, 2017). "Telluride Film Festival: Angelina Jolie On Directing, Netflix, Oscar & 'Maleficent'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  19. ^ Busch, Anita (October 3, 2017). "Joachim Rønning In Talks To Direct Disney's 'Maleficent 2'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  20. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 17, 2018). "Ed Skrein Lands Villain Role in 'Maleficent' Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  21. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 27, 2018). "Michelle Pfeiffer in Talks to Join Angelina Jolie in 'Maleficent 2' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  22. ^ "The filming of Maleficent 2 has already begun!". Gobhy. May 4, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  23. ^ Muller, Marissa (January 29, 2019). "Michelle Pfeiffer Gives the First Look at Her Maleficent 2 Character, Queen Ingrith". W. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  24. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 2, 2018). "'Trust' Star Harris Dickinson to Play the Prince in Disney's 'Maleficent 2' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  25. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 17, 2018). "'Fantastic Beasts' Actress Jenn Murray Joins 'Maleficent 2' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  26. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (May 23, 2018). "David Gyasi Joins Disney's 'Maleficent' Sequel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  27. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 29, 2018). "Robert Lindsay & Chiwetel Ejiofor Joining 'Maleficent II' As Cameras Roll". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  28. ^ Clarke, Stewart (June 11, 2018). "'Maleficent 2' Adds Judith Shekoni of 'Heroes Reborn' and 'Ice' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  29. ^ Trent, John F. (May 29, 2018). "Disney Announces Maleficent II Begins Production with Star-Studded Cast List". Bounding Into Comics. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  30. ^ Chitwood, Adam (May 29, 2018). "Filming Begins on 'Maleficent II' as Cast and Synopsis Revealed". Collider. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  31. ^ Rønning, Joachim (August 24, 2018). "That's a wrap on Maleficent 2 - and what a ride it's been! A big thank you to this amazing UK crew for spending the summer with me at Pinewood Studios - so close to Heathrow, yet so far away :) I hope you all get some well deserved time off before your next adventure ✨✨✨ #maleficent2 @disney". Instagram.com. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  32. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (August 26, 2018). "'Maleficent 2' Wraps Production". Comicbook.com. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  33. ^ "MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL - The Art of VFX". www.artofvfx.com. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  34. ^ a b c Couch, Aaron (May 22, 2019). "'Maleficent' Sequel Adds 'Pirates 5' Composer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  35. ^ http://filmmusicreporter.com/2019/09/20/bebe-rexhas-you-cant-stop-the-girl-from-disneys-maleficent-mistress-of-evil-released/
  36. ^ Perry, Spencer (June 10, 2018). "Disney Movie Release Dates: Poppins Moves Up, Jungle Cruise Delayed". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  37. ^ Lussier, Germain (May 13, 2019). "Angelina Jolie Is Back to Her Wicked Ways in the First Trailer for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil". io9. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  38. ^ Romano, Nick (July 8, 2019). "Angelina Jolie wages fairy warfare in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil trailer". Entertainment Weekly. United States: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved July 8, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  39. ^ Jones, Justin (September 4, 2019). "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Featurette Takes You BTS With Angelina Jolie". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  40. ^ Stone, Sam (September 10, 2019). "Maleficent: Watch Angelina Jolie Turn Into Mistress of Evil in BTS Video". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  41. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 15, 2019). "'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil' To Seduce $165M-$175M Opening Around The World – Global Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  42. ^ "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  43. ^ "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 18, 2019.

External links

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