I’m including some newer posters for Maleficent in this post, in case you missed them. Maleficent is due for a wide release on May 30th – less than two months away. I’m expecting Disney to spare no expense in promoting the film, and I’m expecting that Angelina Jolie (and the entire Jolie-Pitt family) will be on full promotional mode, especially in May. Is it too much to hope that Angelina and Brad will be at Cannes for a non-competition premiere of Maleficent? Please? That would make me so happy, and it feels like something that really could happen. Angelina has gone to Cannes before to promote kids’ movies without having anything in competition.
Anyway, there are rumors. Bad rumors. Rumors that Disney analysts and other industry professionals are worried that Maleficent won’t be able to find an audience. Apparently, analysts think Maleficent is just too terrifying for little kids, and that tweens won’t want to see it:
Disney’s dark fantasy film, “Maleficent,” starring Angelina Jolie as the title villainess, may be too dark and scary to be profitable, one Wall Street analyst wrote in a report on Monday.
The $130-million-budget movie, which tells the “Sleeping Beauty” tale from the perspective of the evil Maleficent, is set to debut May 30 and will likely result in Disney being forced into a write-down, Wells Fargo’s Marci Ryvicker wrote in a report.
“[E]xpectations for a ‘Maleficent’ write-off seem relatively widespread,” she wrote.
With more than eight weeks to go before “Maleficent” unspools, few on Wall Street are ready to take such a bold stance.
“It’s definitely in the ‘not a sure thing’ bucket,” a second analyst said of the re-imagined fairy tale. RBC Capital’s David Bank is penciling in a total US haul of $150 million.
The movie appears to be pitched at young adults rather than at the more traditional audience for a Disney princess movie: small children.
Jolie appears in the movie with enhanced sharp high cheekbones and headgear with horns. The actress struck a deal with fashion designer Stella McCartney to create a capsule collection for children aged 4 to 14 based on the movie.
It’s hard to deny strong interest in the movie — or perhaps simply Jolie. An official trailer posted March 18 has gained 4 million views on YouTube. A January trailer garnered 13 million views. “Maleficent” has 1.8 million Facebook fans, more than any other non-franchise film with a 2014 release date, according to Jason Klein, co-CEO and founder of Listen First Media. Whether that translates into a big box-office number is anyone’s guess.
A write-down, while very much an open question, could slow the momentum of Disney, whose “Frozen” last week became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time.
Obviously, I’ve been wrong many, many times before about what’s going to be a hit and what’s going to bomb. A recent example: I really thought Noah was going to bomb. How did it NOT bomb? All of the elements were there for that film to be a car crash, but it didn’t happen. So, I have no idea what will happen with Maleficent. I think there’s a lot of interest in it and I think it’s amazing to think that this is Angelina’s first time in front of a camera since 2010.
I have another theory – this might be part of a “tamping down expectations so those lowered expectations can be blown away” strategy. Lots of studios do that these days – they get some analysts to low-ball the estimates so the studio heads can later say, “Wow, we beat our own estimates, we’re got a crazy-successful hit on our hands!”
Also… yes, Angelina is probably going to frighten children. I can’t wait! LA JOLIE DRAGON.
Photos courtesy of Disney.
Bull. Shailene’s “Detergent” made money at the box office so there’s no way that this won’t.
Roflmao!
So funny! ‘Detergent.’ LOL.
A FEW THINGS tho, re La Jolie and this suspicious piece that ran in Page Six ( also known as Aniston’s PR flack Stephen Huvane’s personal tabloidy mouthpiece):
1) ‘The Tourist,’ despite the jokes and naysayers grossed over 300 mil, so I’m sure the long awaited Disney’s ‘Maleficent’ will completely slay those receipts.
2) Odd that someone is attempting to do to ‘Maleficent,’ what they tried and failed to do re ‘World War Z.’ Who exactly is behind these weak speculations? Aniston’s PR hack Stephen Huvane? Lol
3) Reality Check: there’s a reason why Angelina gets 20 mil paychecks for BIG wide releasing films and was the highest paid actress of 2013 (and really for the last 7-10 years, she’s been either 1 or 2)…her big features make money, period. Nary a sperrm sample wanderlust rumor has it love happens in the bunch. Heh.
Dani Leave!!! dead @ Detergent
Me too. Best comment today. 😀
HA! +1 for you
Even if the young audience doesn’t see it I’m sure all of us ladies that watched Sleeping Beauty (and liked it) will go see it. Analysts must not be aware the parents are the one with the money, not the tweens. I’m going to go see it!
LOL! But remember it’s organic!
OMG ! my ribs! lol
*shrugs* I Know Im Going and Taking the bf and the sister
Same here! And plenty of my friends want to see it too…. So I don’t understand why they are so fearful…
Me too. I’m excited to see it.
I’m totally going as are all my LOTR GOT geek friends.
I saw the full trailor at the Cap 2 showing and was so happy I got to see the wings and her as the dragon. The full preview looks promising.
LOL @mimif
I would go to see it, and I truly can’t recall the last time I wanted to see a movie. Case and point, though: none of us are kids or even teens. If word on the street is don’t take anyone under 13 to see it, it will cut into their profits. Especially when you consider that most of their profits are toys and junk like that.
I think the “analysts” are looking in the wrong place for the target demographic. It’s not kids, and it surely isn’t tweens. It’s those of us who were scared to death by the original Maleficent, but as adults really want to see her story.
Well, if that Krusten Stewrat “Snow White” thing made money I’m sure this will, too.
@Rachel, who wrote: “I think the “analysts” are looking in the wrong place for the target demographic. It’s not kids, and it surely isn’t tweens. It’s those of us who were scared to death by the original Maleficent, but as adults really want to see her story.”
Agreed! I think you’re right on the money with your comment. The full ‘terrifying’ “Maleficent” trailer was played prior to “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” this weekend with the ‘Coming Attractions.’ There were lots of parents with kids in the theater (both times) when I saw the film (twice!). A Dad in front of me turned to his wife after the trailer and said “We have to come see this.” I don’t think the film will have any trouble finding an audience. The fact of them showing the trailer with such an obvious ‘hard’ PG-13 film like “Captain America” speaks for itself. 🙂
And if I’m not mistaken, didn’t the same ‘Industry Analysts’ say the same thing about that creepy 2010 Johnny Depp film “Alice in Wonderland?”
Exactly! “Analysts” seem to forget that women above the age of 18 exist, have money, and like movies. It’s always such a shock!!!!!!111!!1!! when “women’s movies” do well, because who would have thought that half the adult population might enjoy something.
I know. The trailer looks SO good! I may have to go see it by myself as none of my friends are interested seeing and my son is “too old to see fairytale movies”. This from the 18 year old who willingly went to see Wreck it Ralph.
It’s too scary for children and AJ is over-rated. I’ll wager a major fail on this one.
Same here, I’m taking hubby, my sis in law and my 6 year old son. We can’t wait!
It’s certainly getting my money and the husband’s game too.
I am counting down the weeks and days till I get to see it! Maleficent was my favorite as a kid.
Yep!! I told my Husband the other day that we were going to see this in the theater~some movies we Redbox, some we go full out for. Can’t WAIT to see this movie!!
I think it looks badass. Not a kids movie. If Hunger Games and Divergent found an audience for a ass kicking female lead, so can Malefecent.
Hunger Games was far better than Divergent in acting and story, but I agree. It will find an audience without issue.
I think if they can break even, that would be a win. Regardless, it looks good.
WWZ was supposed to be a flop, yet it made $540 M worldwide.
and it was a pile of crap!
I I liked it and it wasn’t a flop as the WSJ analyst and others predicted it would be.
“Our experts peg the World War Z budget around $269 million, though Paramount argues it was considerably less. Tack on another $160 million to market it, and Pitt’s first-dollar gross deal, and, according to our experts, this film barely broke even. You don’t invest $430 million to make and market a film just to break even, especially when it became the biggest opening of a film starring Pitt, and the biggest-grossing film in his career. Good luck on that sequel.”
http://www.deadline.com/2014/03/hunger-games-catching-fire-hobbit-desolation-of-smaug-profit-most-profitable-movies-2013/
Well at least it is getting a sequel so Paramount were clearly happy with the results.
WWZ budget was 190$ not 269$ no movie budget is that big. The original budget was $170 but they spent another $20Mill for re-shouts .
Where do their ‘experts’ get a 269 million dollar budget, plus the promotional money–when box office mojo says the entire production budget was 190 million?????
How do their ‘experts’ know better than the actual studio?
I think all that talk is really coming from the people behind “The Lone Ranger.” The movie that cost more than WWZ, and didn’t gross s***.
@Drescully, who wrote: “Our experts peg the World War Z budget around $269 million, though Paramount argues it was considerably less. Tack on another $160 million to market it, and Pitt’s first-dollar gross deal, and, according to our experts, this film barely broke even”
There are three Internet sites that are consistently accurate with film numbers, (they are Box Office Mojo, Box Office Guru, and The Numbers: Where Data and Movie business Meet) . The numbers even tracks DVD sells and will call out a Studio for posting the wrong Production Budget. I take any other site with a grain of salt.
Box Office Mojo, Box Office Guru, and The Numbers all list the Production Budget for “World War Z” as $190 million. Here is a further info on Domestic DVD sales for the film at The Numbers:
http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/World-War-Z#tab=summary
I saw the trailer for this before the Winter Soldier, and I’m not so sure about it. It seemed to me that they were trying to make Malifecent into a sympathetic character who’s not really the bad guy… Which is crap. Malifecent is evil and terrifying, I don’t want her sympathetic.
It looks good to me I think they are underestimating Angie’s appeal.
Calling BS. I think that the film will slay.
Absolutely agree about the underestimation of Angie’s appeal. I think that it will be particularly huge internationally because her appeal is so global.
I don’t know. I won’t see it because I feel like I’m too old for it and Angelina doesn’t do it for me as an actress, My teen sister won’t see it because she’s not interestes in that kind of a movie and her generation ( here at least ) doesn’0t care about Angelina. My aunt won’t take our little cousin because she thinks it’s too scary for him. So I can see how it could be a problem
I don’t think my teens even know who she is, but they do like Disney movies so who knows. I have never seen her in anything but that movie with Morgan Freeman, I think it was, where they were trying to catch a serial killer. I don’t remember if I like it or not. So she will not draw me to see a movie but I wouldn’t avoid it because of her either.
@Aang, who wrote: ” I have never seen her in anything but that movie with Morgan Freeman, I think it was, where they were trying to catch a serial killer. I don’t remember if I like it or not.”
Well, it ‘was’ a black actor … but it was Denzel Washington, not Morgan Freeman. The film was “The Bone Collector,” released in November 1999 (Angie was 23 or 24-years-old).
such a scary movie! I checked the locks on cabs for years after seeing that movie.
Emma: but just to clarify she was in “wanted” with morgan freeman.
@Journey, who wrote: “Emma: but just to clarify she was in “wanted” with morgan freeman.”
Yes, but “Wanted” isn’t about a serial killer, like @Aang specified above … it is about a group of professional assassins. The Angelina Jolie film with a ‘black’ actor where they are trying to catch a serial killer is “The Bone Collector.”
Are they kidding? I’ve been waiting for this since it was announced! My 8 year old is very excited about it and my husband even thinks it looks awesome.
I feel like the only person with absolutely zero interest in this film – nothing against Angelina. The story and mythology don’t engage me whatsoever. It is definitely one I’ll be passing on.
I’ll probably end up seeing it, but I think I’m lower on the interest scale than a lot of people are. I support the idea of a big movie centered around a female lead, and I like Angelina well enough, but I’ve gotten a little tired of the dark fairy tale genre and have never shared a lot of my peers’ nostalgia for Disney princesses.
That being said, good reviews could change my level of enthusiasm considerably.
I’m with you. I absolutely love Angelina but more for her humanitarian work at this point than her movies. If she’s in a movie I’m interested in I’m always thrilled to see her on the screen, but I’ve got no interest in this and loving her isn’t enough to get me to the box office. Just no interest in this for me.
I have to agree. Just doesn’t grab me and much too old for my 5 year old. It’s basically Wicked but with the Sleeping Beauty story, right?
I don’t have a tweeny at home but I feel like the ones who are old enough to want to see a scary movie also consider themselves too old for Disney. But I don’t know
@Clever, who wrote: “I don’t have a tweeny at home but I feel like the ones who are old enough to want to see a scary movie also consider themselves too old for Disney. But I don’t know”
“Captain America” The Winter Soldier” and the creepy 2010 version of “Alice in Wonderland” were both made by the same Studio: Buena Vista = Disney.
Yeah, I could care less too. It is one of those movies that once on Netflix I might have on as background noise while reading or something.
It just depends on if you like kids movies/Disney films. I LOVE them. I still watch the Hunchback of Notre Dame ALL THE TIME, and I listen to Disney songs on my laptop while I’m goofing around.
I hate science fiction/end of the world movies–if Angelina did one of those, I probably wouldn’t watch it, because that kind of movie freaks me out. It all just depends on your taste. While a favorite actor might get me to watch something that I might not normally watch, my likes factor in as well.
Besides, it’s a freaking movie.
My interest level is at zero as well. Maybe I’ll catch it on tv some day. Haven’t enjoyed an Angelina Jolie movie is about a decade.
I won’t see it either, unless it comes on TV 4 years from now.
I like Angelina, but she doesn’t do it for me as an actress at all.
Nope, you’re not the only one! I’ll pass on this one, too.
I feel like they are making the character all emo (not loving the insecure hand wringing in the posters). Also, Maleficent had wings in the original Disney film, but they were dragon wings…not feathers. In the original, she didn’t use her powers to send the girl into a deep sleep, she cast a death spell on her, and the fairy with the remaining wish changed it to a deep sleep.
It just kind of seems like they are taking the character’s name and face and then re-writing everything else.
My goodness … @Tiffany, who wrote: “I feel like they are making the character all emo (not loving the insecure hand wringing in the posters). Also, Maleficent had wings in the original Disney film, but they were dragon wings…not feathers. In the original, she didn’t use her powers to send the girl into a deep sleep, she cast a death spell on her, and the fairy with the remaining wish changed it to a deep sleep.”
The first thing she does in the full trailer (now playing before “Captain America”) is crash the baby’s ‘gift’ party and casts a death spell (if you fall into a deep sleep from which you can’t be awaken, that’s ‘death’ isn’t it??). She changes into a dragon near the end of the trailer.
Emma wrote “if you fall into a deep sleep from which you can’t be awaken, that’s ‘death’ isn’t it??”
No, at least in the original Disney movie “death” and “sleep” were two very different things. The “sleep” was chosen as a better alternative to death. Maleficent cast a death spell, and the little fairies tried to reverse that. They weren’t as powerful as her, so they could only change the “death” to “sleep”…which lead to “Sleeping Beauty”.
RE; the original fairy tale:
The bad fairy, angry at being overlooked, places the princess under an enchantment as her gift: the princess will prick her hand on a spindle and die. One fairy who hadn’t yet given her gift, uses it to reverse the evil fairy’s curse, but she can only do so partially: instead of dying, the princess will fall into a deep sleep for 100 years and be awoken by a king’s son.
Same here. The trailers look good but I HATED Sleeping Beauty. The story and her god-awful singing operetta voice. I just really hated that movie as a little girl. So a live action version does nothing for me.
I think it will find an audience and I think it will make money. It’s a high budget film, so it might not make as much money in relation to its cost as people are expecting, however.
This sounds like the typical misogynist bull…., how movies with leading ladies bomb at the box office, how women don’t deserve to earn as much as their male counterparts for the same jobs etc etc.
I for one am so looking forward to this, and I will be taking my 13 year old daughter to watch something that is not pink-rainbow striped and unicorns plus golden pixie dust. Her twin brother thinks Angie is badass and wants to see it too, just not with us!
Not everything Disney touches, has to have rainbows and glitter puked all over it to make money.
It being dark, twisty and scary is exactly why… it will be profitable. If anything Angie Jo being a bit evil would be fantastic to see again. She won an Oscar, for being a weird dark twisty girl. This time she is doing with her horns in full view. 🙂
Being a Disney movie doesn’t guarantee success. Look at The Lone Ranger, John Carter, and Prince of Persia. All three Disney, huge budget movies, all three miserable flops. Not to mention that The Lone Ranger had J. Depp in it, The Biggest Movie Star in the World.
@Drscully, who wrote: “Being a Disney movie doesn’t guarantee success. Look at The Lone Ranger, John Carter, and Prince of Persia. All three Disney, huge budget movies, all three miserable flops. Not to mention that The Lone Ranger had J. Depp in it, The Biggest Movie Star in the World.”
And yet, Disney has made the following films via Buena Vista, and not all of them are flowers, bunnies, and sunshine, either:
Marvel’s “The Avengers”
“Iron Man 3”
“Thor: The Dark World”
That ‘creepy’ “Alice in Wonderland” with Johnny Depp
All of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films
“Oz the Great and Powerful”
“Signs”
“The Sixth Sense”
“Pearl Harbor”
“Pretty Woman”
… and many, many more
My problem is that one report you hear is that it is too dark for kids and then other people say the film is taking a Maleficent and making her nice. I just don’t want to see this movie if they take a evil character and make her nice. But if it is too dark for kids will parents want to bring their kids to the film?
Idk I still think since it is Disney it should do well.
I don’t think the audience for this film is kids under the age of 10. I think it’s a movie that’s made for teens and adults.
Get it together, kids. We had The Neverending Story. If we could deal with the horse dying a slow death, then you can deal with Angelina Jolie.
This!
Oh that was brutal.
I haven’t seen Labyrinth in a while, I need to add it to my list. Does anybody remember the cartoon movie The Last Unicorn? I watched it a couple of weeks ago, loved it when I was younger.
I remember The Last Unicorn. That was anther dark one–especially with the red bull and the talking skeleton who only wanted some wine, lol.
Love TLU! I used to watch it every school holiday when it was on when I was a kid. I now own the DVD and my 6 year old son and I have watched it many times, he loves it too.
Hahaha, those were long-ago kids. Today’s children have a Hiroshima cloud of glitter and positivity encapsulating their lives and shielding them from reality. You would never see the type of storylines that were routine even 25 or 30 years ago today. Just too upsetting to the little whippersnappers.
It never scared me, instead I was afraid of The Dark Crystal.
Aw, you guys are taking me back. I just watched Labyrinth again and was almost giddy.
You want scary? Tom Cruise covered in grease and glitter in Legend. That shit was creepier than it had any right to be. My nine year old self would take A.J as Maleficent any day of the week over scary, shiny, greasy Tom Cruise.
I still check under my bed for his ass.
Oh you had to remind me 🙁 But seriously I loved those films as a kid.
LOL. I saw Poltergeist as a child (at a friend’s house) and I survived! Tough up!
Actually if kids made it through incredibly drawn out incinerator scene in Toy Story 3, they can probably handle this.
Oh man…we just watched that again with our 6 year old and somehow I had forgotten about that scene(blocked it out maybe?) It was almost as painful now as it was years ago 😉 On another note, I think I’ll have to watch this one first before I take my kiddo. The last thing I need is to be up for a week straight because he’s having nightmares.
I doubt it will be *that* scary. Has your son seen movies like Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and the Harry Potter movies etc? If he can handle anything like that then he is bound to be fine with a large dragon. I doubt the movie will have blood and gore etc in it.
My goodness, right in the gut man.
If I can survive the “Return to Oz” movie with Mombi and her interchangeable heads and the flying monkey heads-they can deal with Maleficent. “Doorrrothhhhyy Gallllleee” -still gives me the shivers.
Parents are both way to protective of what their kids watch, and not protective enough. Seems like they get nervous about the wrong things.
So true! Goodness the 6 o’clock news has more scary/horrible things on it these days..
I saw the trailer as well- and while I am seeing it in a theater, I get the reservations. There were bits in the trailer that were a bit too similar to SWATH, the ” rallying the troops” bit, the trees coming alive, etc. I agree- hope it isn’t good girl goes bad.
I will be there. Scar is my favorite Disney character. I love a good villain. But more importantly, I love a good human villain. The exploration of “why” people do bad things has always been a cornerstone of my teaching (and more so now that I get to teach at college!) because otherwise, they just become charactures and checkboxes. We should expect more.
Everything will look like a bomb after Frozen…
I can’t wait. I think this movie will appeal to those of us that only had 5 princesses to choose from as children.
Maleficent is the “bad fairy.” She is SUPPOSED to be scary. Disney used to make scary movies. Watcher in the Woods anyone?
i cant comprehend the succsess of Frozen, i thought it was boring and stupid.
And the song that won the oscar, omg, awful song.
But for little children it was like a barbiemovie i guess, a blonde princess blablabla
Snow White and the Huntsman was dark too… yet it turned a profit…???
Yeah I almost agree that it’s sort of at that in between age bracket that has the potential to flop. Never underestimate Disney though. All I know for sure is that I’ll def be seeing this! (either alone or with my mom lol)
well Disney and the Jolie, i guess this is a 100 % guarantee succsess.
If Hunger Games found an audience, Maleficent will find one for sure.
I think all the GOT an LOTR Fans will go to see the movie.
BS. I think this movie will be huge. I think adults will actually go to see this, by themselves, so that should make up for the tiny tots not going.
Something Wicked This Way Comes was a Disney horror film (based on a Ray Bradbury written novel) that was terrifying, back in the day. Not sure about profits, but it was a very scary movie.
Bette Davis! She scared the * out of me!
Although the story is about a Disney character, I take it that Malificent is geared to older audiences. But I think a lot of older people will go to see it and don’t underestimate the young kids. A lot of them are more savy now. My kids are smart and well adjusted and love a good mythic epic story. My 8 year-old loves Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. He’s begged me to see Malificent. He’s seen the trailer and loves it.
That too. You made a good point. A lot of kids aren’t scared as easily as their parents might think they are. My little brother, who’s ten, has been playing video games like Halo for years–he loves wolves (like Teen Wolf), and loves The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings–seen the movies and read the books. If he went and saw this, he would not be scared.
I honestly don’t think the movie looks all that scary. It might have some dramatic parts, but from what I’ve seen—there’s nothing in here to make kids freak out–maybe a tiny bit scared. If I had kids, I would take them to go see this.
I don’t think this is a deliberate strategy – I could see downplaying expectations a bit, but saying it will be a loss and doesn’t have an audience? I don’t think that’s coming from Disney.
I predict they will spend a LOT promoting it, and in the end it will turn a small profit, but it’s not going to be a cash cow like Frozen has turned out to be.
I think it’s going to depend on reviews (bad reviews have killed some other big movies) and what else is opening at the same time.
@Lucy 2, who wrote: “I think it’s going to depend on reviews (bad reviews have killed some other big movies) and what else is opening at the same time.”
Here are the movies opening on May 30, 2014:
“Maleficent”
“A Million Ways to Die in the West”
“Filth”
“Korengal”
“Lucky Them”
“Night Moves”
“We Are The Best”
I hope the movie hits hard and BIG, because two weeks later “How to Train Your Dragon 2” opens on June 13, 2014.
We will talk how absurd this post is on June 1st.
And if doesn’t make a ton of money, then we’ll all know it sucks because only good movies make a lot of money.
I think they are deliberately down-playing it. That’s their strategy & they’re sticking to it. If there is a blow — they’re trying to soften it. Remains to be seen.
I’m really looking forward to seeing this, and I think they’re really underestimating the power of Jolie.
Noah was a good movie. I liked it.
Me too! 🙂
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS –
this is a prequel and a sequel tof Slleping Beauty. The plot is quite interesting. maleficent and Auroras father were friends and lovers when they were young. Motivated by power, Stefan betrays maleficent. Then we have the Sleeping Beauty part where maleficent curses Aurora. The final part is a deadly war between maleficent and Stefan with Aurora in the midle.
This movie is going to be so stupid.
World War Z is a flop and now Maleficent will be terrible even though you haven’t seen it yet? Hmmm
I figured that after seeing a clip of Maleficent with wings kissing a guy in the trailer.
Why are people so turned off by her possible good back story like it would take away from her evilness? Heck, even the devil had a good back story before turning evil. He was an angel first! And that never made him any less evil when we know his good past.
Yes. Its impossible to do a movie about maleficent based on the 1959 classic. That character was one-dimensional.
I don’t like the fact that they changed Maleficent. Now she’s a misunderstood good girl done wrong? No thanks.
If Snow White and the Huntsman found an audience, this movie can. The Jolie fans will see it a hundred times, Disney fans that are older will like it and people who like a darker take on fairytales will see it.
I mean look at the audience that Once Upon a Boring has or had.
I think the movie will do just fine. I will wait till it hits Netflix or HBO like I do most movies.
I saw the trailer to this movie yesterday when I took my little girl to see the new muppet movie.
I’m not a huge Jolie fan but she looked rather bada** in the role. After seeing the trailer I have more interest in seeing it but doubt I will. Way to scary looking for my almost 5 year old.
I know people think kids should be tougher but I gotta sleep at night folks.
You guys forget part of Disney’s profits is from all of the merchandise they sell that goes with the movie, you go to any children’s store right now and there is Frozen merchandise everywhere. I would almost guess that Disney makes more money off that stuff than the actual movie so if Malificient is to scary for the little ones they won’t be selling the merchandise, that’s probably where the worry comes from.
Exactly. They are worried about feeding the Disney Princess monster. Mal is too dark for girls and too female for boys, is this what I’m hearing from them?
I want to see this move, but I’m not interested in Malificient pj’s, action doll or backpack so there goes getting any additional money from me. It’s almost like Disney puts out these movies as an advertisement for merchandise, I find it sad that sometime in the industry the movie becomes second to marketing products.
What about Harry Potter? Isnt HP scary?
Kid love to be frightend these days. We are not living anymore in 1990. Things have changed i guess 😉
I don’t know many children, but most of the adults around me want to see this, so that to me says it will have a wide audience.
How scary can it be with a PG rating? This is studio posturing. The movie can do at least $500 Million.
+1
I see the same hate campaign that was happening to discredit WWZ is doing the same with Maleficent, and we know teh out come of that dont we. Odd the media doesnt seem to be up any one leses a$$ apart from Brad & Angelina.
Exactly, i don’t go to the movies but will go and see Maleficent and taking grad-children, been waiting. why are they trying to black ball Angie’s movie I don’t know? have to be Aniston and and her crowd that real witch would not quit with her obsession with the woman who took her husband.
Whatever. I’m still seeing it. Maleicent has always been my favorite Disney character and the movie looks interesting.
Im excited to see it; i’ll be taking my teenage niece (14) , nephew (12), and step son (9).
Not going to say much asides from the fact that we will be here discussing this same thing come June 1st So I rest my case till then!!!
Where does the story that this is to dark for children actually come from? From Disney? Or just naysayers? I’d like to see a link?
From the trailers that I have seen, I don’t really get that this is any darker than a lot of what over 5 year-olds are seeing on film and on video games? Jolie definately seems like a cartoon version of a villain. This doesn’t look like adult horror. I’m thinking we’ve missed the mark on the potential child audience, if we don’t think 5- 11 year olds will be seeing this.
Also, don’t Disney films make back their money over years and years and years? They release, they have lucrative merchandishing and they re-release strategically. The merchandishing aspect says to me that they expect children to buy toys.
Also with all due respect to the Wall Street Journal, I’m pretty sure that Disney is somewhat proficient at market analysis of their target audiences. They seem to have done pretty well.
“Also with all due respect to the Wall Street Journal, I’m pretty sure that Disney is somewhat proficient at market analysis of their target audiences. They seem to have done pretty well.”
Well there’s Lone Ranger and John Carter in recent years….
I might see it, depending on the reviews. I’ve always had a soft spot for Maleficent.
Touché! I think a lot of peple think John Carter was a very good Disney film and I suspect that in the long run it’ll make some bank.
If I see it, it’s be for the camp of it. As I said, I think this is firmly a kid’s movie.
it’s amusing that every time Brad and Angelina are in a movie people claim it will be a massive bomb. Snow White, Wizard Of Oz, and Alice In Wonderland were huge hits. I don’t why this movie would be different.
True. But such news will definitely spiral out in their fans communities, and more likely it will turn out the other way. Good reverse psychology 😉
saw the trailer this weekend (muppets) with my almost 6 year old girl and 9 year old boy – the 6 year old can not wait to go. She says its a “fairy” movie with a bad guy and she is going to see it no matter how scary it looks. I can’t wait!
Never underiestimate the power of the Brangeloonies!!
I thought Noah would be bad too, but it was actually pretty beautiful and well made.
This is great news! I really hope this will not make any money and kill stupid the live-action fairy-tale genre. Are you guys here really interested in this film beyond the fact Angelina stars in it? I mean it just looks terrible in my opinion. And she won´t be scaring any children, she is made to be completely nice in this version, which is such a shame since Maleficent is one of Disney´s best villains.
Did you say the same thing about the 2010 version of “Alice in Wonderland?”
Totally OT, I got a bottle of Brad and Angie’s Chateau Miraval. It’s GOOOOOD!!
Count me jealous! We love collecting wines and this one is covetted. 🙂 Drink a glass for me!
I agree- Deliberately dampening expectations.
It would have to be really bad for it not to do really well.
I go to about two movies a year and I will go see this. And I find her unbearable in real life. But it looks great and I think she will rock it as an actress. Can’t wait.
My 10 year old nephew has already told me he wants to see it, and I want to see it as well!
I wonder if anyone will ever do a back-story for the Wicked Stepmother in “Cinderella”? I could even summarize it myself:
Wicked Stepmother (WS) came from an upper-class but genteelly-poor family. When she was 16, her father sold her in marriage to a much older but extremely wealthy man. When her husband died after 10 years of marriage, WS found herself with 2 small daughters to raise, plus mounds of debt that her husband had kept her ignorant of. When Cinderella’s widower father proposed to her, WS accepted because she figured that the marriage would at least keep her and her daughters from descending into poverty. Try as she might, WS couldn’t get Cinderella, who was still loyal to her mother, to warm up to her or her daughters. The constant snubbing and cries of “I don’t have to obey you, you’re not my REAL mother” finally warped WS’s mind, and when her second husband died, she seized her opportunity to avenge herself and her daughters on Cinderella.
Cool!!!!
Like the original maleficent, she is the best designed Disney villain IMO, those cheekbones, horns, purple mascara and dragon wings are pure genius. Have zero interest to check the live action version though, I think Alice in Wonderland just ruined my appetite for seeing any “dark” live action fairy tale ever.
And this fairy tale was initially animated and later crowned as one of Disney’s best animation for a reason. The delicate and unique hand drawn forest and castle just can’t transform well into generic CGI, just look at the awful trailer.
I’m not going to see it because I can’t stand Angelina and I won’t spend money to see anything with her in it. If it were someone else I would be all over it but I’m a formerly Goth-teen adult. I’m the target audience that they don’t want to admit to. I just don’t know how many Angelina loving ex-Goth girls or current Goth girls are out there. It is a niche but Once Upon a Time is huge so I don’t see an issue other than those of us who don’t like Angelina but there can’t be that many of us.
Goth boys and ex-Goth boys may be interested in it as well. I don’t think its going to pull Marvel or Hunger Games numbers but I don’t think it’s going to tank either. My prediction is it will do OK – over $100 million but not $500 million.
@ZenB, who wrote: “If it were someone else I would be all over it but I’m a formerly Goth-teen adult. I’m the target audience that they don’t want to admit to.”
(Blinks) I think anyone who likes fairytales, of all ages, is the ‘target’ audience.
I have been waiting forever to see A.J. in this! She looks amazing. A part she was born to play…and she will play it to the hilt. Love her with bad ass wings. Seriously. My husband even said he would see this one.
Oh come on, how can it bomb? I think it’ll be a success!
All this it will bomb is because it is an Angie movie.
Children flocked to see Harry Potter. How is Maleficent scarier than Voldermort. I remember parents saying it was too scary. Dark magic.. banned from libraries. I don’t know what kids some of you come in contact with. But when I use to teach 6 and 7 year old children I was shocked at the films they see. Chucky, Saw, Nightmare on Elms street.. and too many others to name. Some children like to be scared. This move is PG not R..
I know many tweens that want to see this as well as kids under 10. And a lot of them know exactly who Angelina Jolie is.. I have seen kids at her premiers going nuts over seeing her; right along with their parents. Lots of talk on twitter and facebook.
Maleficent will SLAY.. Deal and accept. And that will be such a disappointment to the people praying for a failure.
Didn’t these kind of articles also come out when Brad Pitt’s movie “World War Z” was coming out? These “industry insiders” are becoming a bit too predictable. I should have bet some money that these articles would be coming out.
yes you could have set you clock on it. Every time they have a film some silliness goes in print.
Never fails.
It’s got Angelina in it. Check.
She’s playing Malificent. Check.
Angelina looks fierce. Check.
Will I pay to see this. Check.
I can’t wait to see this film.
I’ve tried to stay away from all advance information except perhaps a glance at 2 posters, including above.
La Jolie as Malificent was a film fantasy and now it’s film reality. Can’t wait!!
I think opening night will be amazing. There are a ton of people eager to see it. But it’s overly hyped and I don’t think it’s going to live up to those eager expectations… so I don’t think people will be kind in reviews and I worry that it will bomb after opening.
My husband will probably take my preteen boys. Can’t really understand the idea of taking young children – the fact that kids are playing video games that are too mature for them is reason to take away their games, not introduce them to other more mature entertainment. Childhood is short enough as it is – no reason to shorten it even more.
Maleficent has always been my favorite Disney villain, I even named my warlock in WoW after her. Me and my two female friends have been down for this movie since we heard it was coming out, even my boyfriend is coming to see it. We got a group of 5 going, and I’m sure we aren’t the only ones. I think Maleficent will do fine.
As many pointed out above, experts were SO SURE that WWZ would bomb at the box office as well but it didn’t. Now I guess it’s Angelina’s turn.
I would really like to know who’s behind these “It will bomb!” predictions. It feels like there are people in the industry who are praying that Brad and Angelina will fail. Which wouldn’t be surprising really given how competitive Hollywood is. But putting faces on who is driving this “IT WILL BOMB!” campaign as well as WWZ’s would be nice.
I love Angie but I don’t go for all of her movies. I may have to check out the reviews first. But all the best to her. However, when it comes to action movies with her in it, it’s a definite yes. Oh Angie pls make another action movie…