The misunderstood mistress of evil is back with new enemies and possibly new allies in Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
Angelia Jolie reprises her role as Maleficent, the now peaceful protector of the Moors and godmother of Princess Aurora [Elle Fanning]. While all is seemingly well in fairyland, Prince Phillip [Harris Dickinson] throws a curveball Maleficent’s way as he proposes to Princess Aurora. Unbeknownst to Prince Phillip, his mother Queen Ingrith [Michelle Pfeiffer] has other plans for the union that threatens everything the Moors have worked so hard for. The impending battle beckons the question, who really is the true mistress of evil?
Cast of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, left to right: Joachim Ronning, Sam Riley, Harris Dickinson, Elle Fanning, Angelina Jolie, Michelle Pfeiffer, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein
While our favorite characters have returned for the sequel, fans will be introduced to a new set of characters. In addition to Michelle Pfeiffer, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ed Skrein have joined the star-studded cast. When asked, what is one thing you would like to take home from the set, Ejiofor jokingly responded, “the cheekbones, I miss them. I miss them still.” While the cheekbones are a definite eye-catcher, the film itself is so visually rich and captivating audiences may wonder, will it be as memorable as the highly successful first film? “I think it’s important to make something original and take Maleficent to the next level and kind of make Maleficent 2.0. I feel a huge part of the success of the first film was that it had such a strong emotional core and I think that was the most important thing for me, to continue telling that story,” says director Joachim Ronning.
Although the film is set in a fantasy world with fictional characters, it is quite easy to relate to and empathize with the inner battles each character is facing. Pfeiffer describes Queen Ingrith as “damaged” and “ruled by fear.” Jolie added how “at a certain point, each character focuses on how different they are and eventually there is a push to show that this is not how it should be and this is not how to live and diversity makes us stronger, which I feel is a very strong message.” Fans along with the casting team could see no one else other than Angelina Jolie to portray the well-known villain Maleficent, however, it took Jolie a bit to feel the same. “Everyone was telling me, I’m the only person who can play Maleficent and I thought, really? I don’t know how to feel about that,” Jolie explains. Yet after getting familiar with the character, Jolie could relate to how protective Maleficent is over her daughter and explains how she too had to learn to “let go” as she recently did as she prepared her eldest son Maddox for college.
Indeed Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a fairytale; however, it is one like no other. Will the new dark forces triumph over good? You will just have to wait till October 18 to see!
