Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a 2019 American dark fantasy adventure film directed by Joachim Rønning, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, and written by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster. It is a sequel to Maleficent's 2014 film, with Angelina Jolie coming back to play the role of the title. Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville all return to their previous roles, replacing Brenton Thwaites from the first film with Harris Dickinson and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, and Michelle Pfeiffer joining the cast as new characters.
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| Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) |
Jolie confirmed that a sequel was likely after the release of the first film in May 2014. The plan was officially announced next June and in April 2016 Jolie signed on. Rønning, who co-directed Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), was hired to direct the film in October 2017 and the rest of the cast was added or announced in May 2018, with shooting beginning that month at Pinewood Studios in England, lasting through August.
Maleficent: Evil's mistress is scheduled to be released on October 18, 2019 in the United States. The movie received mixed reviews from critics, praising Jolie, Fanning and Pfeiffer's performances, but criticizing the "muddled narrative and overly artificial visuals."
About Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Directed by: Joachim Rønning
Produced by: Joe Roth, Angelina Jolie and Duncan Henderson
Screenplay by: Linda Woolverton, Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue
Story by: Linda Woolverton
Based on: Characters from: Disney's Sleeping Beauty, La Belle au bois dormant and by Charles Perrault
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley, Ed Skrein, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville and Michelle Pfeiffer
Music by: Geoff Zanelli
Cinematography: Henry Braham
Edited by: Laura Jennings and Craig Wood
Production company: Walt Disney Pictures and Roth Films
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios and Motion Pictures
Release date: October 18, 2019
Running time: 118 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English.
Plot
Five years after the death of King Stefan, the new queen of the human kingdom, Ingrith, rose to power, taking further steps than he did with the dark legacy of late Stefan.
In the Moors, Diaval discovers that Aurora accepts the offer of Prince Philip to marry him, tells him to Maleficent, who becomes furious with him, advises Aurora not to marry him as she knows that this story of love would not end as she feels, much to the dismay of Aurora and the other fairies, resulting in Aurora fleeing back into the human realm, where Ingrith decides to take her as her
Maleficent arrives at the new meeting, where she uses her powers to announce a new curse; there will be no reunion or love between Aurora or the prince, yet Aurora refuses to spell, and Maleficent accidentally attacks King John in her great wrath. She runs from the castle minutes before the guards come to take her away, flies away but is shot down by a guard and falls into the sea, resulting in Conall, a male fairy like Maleficent, saving her from drowning. Introducing her into other fairies like her, led by the ruthless Borra, Maleficent then reluctantly agrees to lead them and the Moors in a battle against human beings, intending to save Aurora, without even realizing that Borra plans to use the leadership of Maleficent to kill all human beings, regardless of their party, including Aurora.
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| Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) |
Maleficent flies away to the Moors and is surprised when she finds all the flowers of the fairy that grow on the toombs of the fairies. Eventually she's reunited with Borra and Conall, resulting in a short fight against the forest-hidden soldiers. To defend Maleficent, Conall gets killed.
The next day, with Borra, Maleficent directly leads the armies of the Moors and the Dark Feys into an invasion of the human realm, leading to a massively destructive and violent long battle between factions. Maleficent attacks Ingrith in the ensuing chaos, resulting in Aurora attempting to stop her godmother, eventually recognizing her as her "mother." Eventually, Maleficent gets killed to protect Aurora from the arrow of Ingriths, sacrificing herself.
Aurora breaks down into tears, knowing that Maleficent is gone, explaining to Ingrith what it takes to be a true leader. While dying from her injuries, Maleficent returns to life in the form of the dark fairy phoenix, triggering the terror and fear of Ingrith, who tries to kill Aurora again by tossing her out of the window, but Maleficent saves her again. Following their collapse, Aurora and Maleficent wake up, Borra and Philip battle each other, but in the end, Philip refuses to kill Borra, and Maleficent refuses to kill Philip either, resulting in harmony between the two parties being restored.
Maleficent returns to her human form and thanks Aurora and Philip for their actions, joining them both for their wedding.
The story ends with the kiss of Aurora and Philip and the flying away of Maleficent, promising both of them that she will be back for the christening.
Cast
- Angelina Jolie as Maleficent
- Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Conall
- Sam Riley as Diaval
- Ed Skrein as Borra
- Imelda Staunton as Knotgrass
- Juno Temple as Thistlewit
- Lesley Manville as Flittle
- Harris Dickinson as Prince Phillip
- Robert Lindsay as King John
- Warwick Davis
- Jenn Murray as Gerda
- David Gyasi
- Judith Shekoni as Shrike
- John Carew
- Freddie Wise
Development
Following the release of the first film on June 3, 2014, Angelina Jolie suggested a possible sequel to Maleficent. Walt Disney Pictures revealed on June 15, 2015, that the sequel was in the works and that Linda Woolverton was going back to write the film's screenplay. Although it was not yet certain that Jolie returned to the sequel, the script was supposed to be written with her in mind. Moreover, Joe Roth has been reported to return as the film's producer. Disney officially confirmed the return of Jolie as the title character on April 25, 2016. It was announced on August 29, 2017 that Jez Butterworth will rewrite the script of Woolverton while Roth was confirmed to return as director. Jolie announced in September 2017 that they "have been working on the script and it's going to be a really good sequel." Deadline confirmed on October 3, 2017 that the film would be directed by Joachim Rønning and it would start filming in the first quarter of 2018.
Casting
Ed Skrein was cast into the film in April 2018 to play a dark heroic fey, with Elle Fanning returning from the previous movie to play Princess Aurora. Also introduced was Michelle Pfeiffer as a character described as a princess, later explained as being an evil queen called Princess Ingrith.
In May 2018, due to scheduling conflicts with the latter star, it was announced that Harris Dickinson would replace Brenton Thwaites in the role of Prince Phillip. It was also confirmed later that the cast was also joined by Jenn Murray, David Gyasi, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Robert Lindsay. Previously announced in the previous film was Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville to reprise their roles. Judith Shekoni has joined the cast in June 2018.
Filming
Principal photography began on May 29, 2018 at Buckinghamshire, England's Pinewood Studios. On August 24, 2018, filming wrapped up.
Release
Walt Disney Pictures is scheduled to release the film on October 18, 2019, moving up from its previously announced May 29, 2020 date.
Box office
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil will be released alongside Zombieland in the United States and Canada: Double Tap and is expected at its opening weekend to gross $45–50 million out of 3,700 theaters.
Conclusion
Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the intricate family ties that bind them through impending nuptials, unlikely alliances, and mysterious new forces at play as they are pulled in different directions.
