Maleficent (2014)

🎬 Movie Information

• Title: Maleficent

• Release Date: May 30, 2014 (USA)

• Director: Robert Stromberg

• Screenplay: Linda Woolverton

• Producers: Joe Roth

• Cinematography: Dean Semler

• Editing: Chris Lebenzon, Richard Pearson

• Music: James Newton Howard

   

• Production Companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Roth Films

• Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

• Runtime: 97 minutes

• Language: English

• Budget: $180–263 million

• Box Office Gross: $758.5 million

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54% (Critics), 70% (Audience)

🎭 Main Characters

• Maleficent – Angelina Jolie

• Princess Aurora – Elle Fanning

• King Stefan – Sharlto Copley

• Diaval – Sam Riley

• Knotgrass – Imelda Staunton

• Flittle – Lesley Manville

• Thistlewit – Juno Temple

• Prince Philip – Brenton Thwaites

• Queen Leila – Hannah New

• King Henry – Kenneth Cranham

🧩 Plot Summary

Maleficent reimagines the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of its iconic villain. Maleficent, a powerful fairy living in the Moors, befriends and falls in love with a human named Stefan. As they grow older, Stefan's ambition leads him to betray Maleficent by cutting off her wings to gain the throne. Heartbroken and seeking revenge, Maleficent curses Stefan's newborn daughter, Aurora, declaring that she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel spindle before sunset on her sixteenth birthday and fall into a death-like sleep, only to be awakened by true love's kiss.

As Aurora grows, Maleficent watches over her and, over time, develops a maternal affection for the girl. Realizing that she cannot undo the curse, Maleficent attempts to prevent it, but fails. After Aurora falls into the cursed sleep, Maleficent's remorse leads her to kiss Aurora on the forehead, which unexpectedly breaks the curse, revealing that true love can also be found in maternal bonds. The film concludes with Maleficent restoring peace to the kingdom and the Moors, and Aurora being crowned queen, uniting the two realms.