Disney’s bewitching live-action fairy tale Maleficent continues to conjure up box office magic in the UK this weekend, taking £6.6 million in just 5 days. The film knocked X-Men: Days of Future Past off the number 1 spot after only one week and out-performed the Tom Cruise-starrer Edge of Tomorrow, as Disney’s “new” heroine proves just too powerful for this apocalyptic sci-fi movie. Internationally, the film has taken a phenomenal $100.6M across 47 territories, which is the biggest ever Angelina Jolie live-action opening domestically, internationally and globally, and represents approximately 78% of the international marketplace.
Following the runaway success of Frozen, which is now the 5th biggest film of all time, Maleficent provides audiences another twist on the idea of true love by exploring the relationship between Maleficent and young Princess Aurora, played by Elle Fanning.
Out in cinemas across the UK and Ireland now, Maleficent explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic Sleeping Beauty and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.
Alongside Jolie and Fanning the film also stars Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville. Maleficent is produced by Joe Roth and directed by Robert Stromberg, with Angelina Jolie, Michael Vieira, Don Hahn, Palak Patel, Matt Smith and Sarah Bradshaw serving as executive producers. Linda Woolverton wrote the screenplay.
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