Maleficent (2014)
- Robert Stromberg originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- Before Angelina Jolie was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Robert Stromberg's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
Maleficent is a 2014 American dark fantasy film directed by Robert Stromberg, a revisionist retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story from the perspective of the villain. Angelina Jolie stars as Maleficent, reimagined as a powerful fairy who was once a kind protector of the magical Moors, a realm bordering the human kingdom. After being betrayed and physically violated by her childhood love Stefan, who cuts off her wings to secure the throne, Maleficent curses his infant daughter Aurora to fall into a death-like sleep on her sixteenth birthday.
However, as Maleficent secretly watches Aurora grow up, an unexpected maternal bond develops that challenges her desire for revenge. Maleficent was part of Disney's strategy of reimagining their animated classics as live-action films, but it took the more creatively ambitious approach of fundamentally reinterpreting the story rather than simply remaking it. Angelina Jolie's performance was the film's primary asset — her sharp cheekbones (enhanced with prosthetics designed by Rick Baker), imperious bearing, and ability to shift between menace and tenderness made her a compelling lead.
The film's feminist reinterpretation, in which the "true love's kiss" that breaks the curse comes from Maleficent herself rather than from a romantic interest, directly subverted the Disney princess formula and preceded Frozen's similar twist by several months in development. Maleficent earned $758 million worldwide, making it one of the year's highest-grossing films and validating Disney's live-action remake strategy.
