On the surface, a franchise that’s earned upwards of $1.3 billion across the span of just two installments would surely be under consideration to be named as one of Hollywood’s most popular, but who really cares – or even remembers anything – about Disney’s Maleficent?
The live-action remake that put the Sleeping Beauty villain in the spotlight hauled in a colossal $758 million at the global box office, but reviews were largely tepid across the board. Angelina Jolie’s scenery-devouring performance was unquestionably a delight to witness, and the visuals were suitably sumptuous, but director Robert Stromberg’s lavish reimagining hardly lived long in the memory.
In fact, it’s got to be regarded as one of the most entirely forgettable animated overhauls the Mouse House has ever put out, and you can definitely count sequel Mistress of Evil among that number as well, after it earned almost $300 million less than its predecessor upon arriving half a decade later. A third Maleficent was announced to be in development, but given the ongoing radio silence, we’re inclined to believe that it isn’t going to happen at this stage.
Regardless of how formulaic and ultimately beige on every level as it may be, the sweeping fable of love, loss, family, and destiny has coincidentally conspired to put a dent on a pair of streaming platforms that aren’t even Disney Plus, with FlixPatrol revealing the eye-popping but resolutely one-dimensional epic to have reappeared on both the iTunes and Chili charts heading into the weekend.
There might be a handful of Maleficent superfans out there, but saying it lingers in the mind would be a stretch.