Maleficent
Maleficent | |
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The Wicked fairy godmother from Charles Perrault's fairy tale | |
Voiced by |
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Portrayed by |
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In-universe information | |
Alias | The Mistress of All Evil Mistress of Evil |
Species | |
Children | Mal (daughter; in Descendants) Aurora (surrogate daughter; in Maleficent) |
Home | The Forbidden Mountain The Moors (in Maleficent) |
Maleficent (
Maleficent was originally animated by Marc Davis. In the 1959 film, Maleficent was originally voiced by Eleanor Audley, who earlier voiced Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's evil stepmother, in Cinderella (1950).[5]
A revision of the character appeared as the protagonist in the 2014 live-action film Maleficent, portrayed by Angelina Jolie, who reprised the role in the 2019 sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.[6] This version of Maleficent is portrayed as a sympathetic character, who is misunderstood in trying to protect herself and her domain from humans.
Development
The character was animated by Marc Davis who also animated Aurora in the film. She was aptly named "Maleficent" (an adjective which means "doing evil or harm").[7] In determining Maleficent's design, standard depictions of witches and hags were dismissed as Davis has opted for an elegant, sinister, green-skinned beauty, depicted as "vain femme fatale, utilizing a classic archetype of a bad woman."[8] According to Davis, Maleficent "was designed like a giant vampire bat to create a feeling of menace."[9]
She was voiced by Eleanor Audley, who had previously performed Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's evil stepmother, in Cinderella. Audley also provided some live-action recording for both of these characters, to inspire the animators. In addition, dancer Jane Fowler performed some live-action reference for Maleficent.[10][11] Animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, in their book The Disney Villain, describe animating Audley's voice as "a difficult assignment but a thrilling one, working to that voice track with so much innuendo mixed in with the fierce power."[12]
It was long rumored that Maleficent's likeness was inspired by actress Maila Nurmi, best known for her character Vampira, a camp icon of the 1950s. In 2014, entries were discovered in Nurmi's journals describing sessions for Walt Disney in November 1956. Walt Disney was subsequently able to find archival documents corroborating Nurmi's participation as a "live-action reference" model for the character.[13] Maleficent's likeness in the eponymous 2014 film was inspired by Lady Gaga's appearance in her "Born This Way" (2011) music video.[14]
For the scene when Maleficent transforms into a dragon in the original film, she was animated by Eric Cleworth, who said that the dragon was modeled on a rattlesnake, with "powerful muscles moving a bulky body over the rocky terrain."[9] Sound effects artist Jimmy MacDonald searched for the sound of a dragon's fiery breath by requesting the United States Army to send him some training films on flame throwing. These films provided just the right sound for him.[11]
Appearances
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Sleeping Beauty
In the animated film, where she is voiced by
Later, at her castle in the Forbidden Mountains, a frustrated Maleficent asks her goons why they have been unable to find Aurora, who had been hidden and brought up by the three good fairies. Maleficent learns that they have focused on searching for a baby the entire time, even though 16 years have passed. She flies into a destructive rage, and soon desperately instructs her pet raven, Diablo, to find Aurora. The bird manages to succeed due to a magical quarrel between Merryweather and Flora, which exposes their location.
On the evening of Aurora's sixteenth birthday, after the three fairies have momentarily left the depressed princess alone in a castle room, Maleficent visits Aurora in the form of a
Later on, Maleficent and her goons capture Prince Phillip, Aurora's true love, and imprisons him. Maleficent then rests well, thinking she has triumphed. However, she later wakes up and by seeing that Diablo has been turned to stone, she discovers that the fairies have freed Phillip from her dungeon. She climbs to the top of one of her castle's towers and proceeds to blast Phillip with lightning, and after the good fairies foil these attempts, she summons a forest of thorns, through which Phillip slices his way out. Enraged, she blows away and confronts him in front of King Stefan's castle, and transforms herself into a huge dark dragon. The three fairies cast an enhancing enchantment on Phillip's Sword of Truth, which he throws into Maleficent's heart, mortally wounding her before she falls off the crumbling cliff to her death.
Maleficent film series
Maleficent
The 2014 live-action reboot presents Maleficent as a good-hearted but tragic fairy who defends the Moors, a realm of supernatural beings, from neighboring humans. She is played by Angelina Jolie.
Prior to sporting her iconic dark attire, Maleficent had a pair of giant wings and wore a brown leather dress, with sandals and an anklet. She could heal a tree's broken branch just by touching it, and shared an immense fondness with all the denizens of her mystical domain. Maleficent befriends a thieving peasant boy named Stefan, upon being alerted to his presence by a trio of pixies: Knotgrass (Imelda Staunton), Thistletwit (Juno Temple), and Flittle (Lesley Manville).
As a young adult, Maleficent is betrayed by her love interest, Stefan, who uses iron to burn off her wings so that he can succeed King Henry (Henry declared a bounty on Maleficent's life, after she gravely felled him while thwarting his armed invasion of the Moors). After claiming a raven named Diaval (Sam Riley) as her henchman, Maleficent renames herself from guardian of the Moors to ruler of same. Both her clothing and her realm turn dark, reflecting the hatred with which she is now consumed. When she learns that now-King Stefan and his Queen Leila have a newborn daughter named Aurora (Elle Fanning), Maleficent acts in the name of what she considers poetic justice by cursing the newborn Aurora to fall into a deathlike slumber on her 16th birthday; the spell can be broken only by the kiss of true love, which neither Maleficent nor Stefan believe in. Knotgrass, Thistletwit, and Flittle are assigned to look after Aurora until after her 16th birthday; the pixies prove to be grossly incompetent and negligent, however. In order to ensure that her curse comes to pass, Maleficent cares for and - when required - protects the child from afar. Eventually, as Aurora grows into an industrious and sweet-tempered young woman, Maleficent recognizes the folly of punishing Stefan's daughter for something he alone did. This tender regard for Aurora enables Maleficent to undo the damage which she herself inflicted; after Philip's kiss fails to break the curse (because he's not yet truly in love with Aurora), Maleficent voices her regrets and herself kisses Aurora's brow. Roused from her enchanted sleep, and now fully aware of her father's true nature, Aurora foils his efforts to destroy Maleficent by returning the dark fairy's severed wings. Completely stripped of her bitterness and thirst for vengeance, Maleficent declares an end to her feud with Stefan, but the king, driven by shame too great to bear, attempts to kill her and himself, only to take a fatal fall from his own castle's highest turret.
Following Aurora's ascension over her late parents' domain, Maleficent crowns her to rule the Moors as well, with Diaval and Phillip looking on proudly.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Angelina Jolie reprised the role in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, in which Maleficent's relationship with Aurora was tested. Other fairies of her species appeared, led by Conall (Chiwetel Ejiofor). In the course of the film, Prince Philip's mother Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) attempts to provoke a war between the humans and the fairies by creating the impression that Maleficent has cast another curse on the king, forcing Maleficent to flee the kingdom only to be rescued by others of her kind. During this time, Maleficent's species is identified as 'Dark Fey', although Maleficent's powers are unique to her due to her being the latest reincarnation of the powerful Phoenix. The queen nearly destroys the fairies after devising a cloud of red dust that will turn all fairies exposed to it into plants and luring them into a church for Aurora's wedding, but during the Dark Fey's attack on the kingdom, Aurora learns the truth and is able to convince both sides to stand down, Philip appealing to his own soldiers while Aurora confronts Maleficent. After asserting that she still regards Maleficent as her mother, Aurora is knocked off a tower by the queen, but Maleficent is able to save Aurora, ending the conflict when she breaks the curse on the King and turns the Queen into a goat. With peace restored, Maleficent walks Aurora down the aisle for her wedding to Philip, and later assures Aurora that she will return when their first child is born.
Descendants franchise
In the sequel
She appears in the animated television special
A teen Maleficent will appear in the upcoming spin-off film Descendants: The Rise of Red, played by Mars.[16]
Television series
House of Mouse
Maleficent is a recurring character in the animated series
Once Upon a Time
Maleficent | |
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Once Upon a Time character | |
First appearance | "The Thing You Love Most" (Season 1; Episode 2) |
Last appearance | "Leaving Storybrooke" (Season 7; Episode 22) |
Portrayed by | Kristin Bauer van Straten |
In-universe information | |
Species | Fairy/Dragon |
Title | Queen of Darkness |
Occupation | Sorceress |
Affiliation | Queens of Darkness (formerly) |
Significant other | Zorro |
Children | Lilith Page (daughter) |
An alternate version of Maleficent appears in the ABC television series Once Upon a Time, played by Kristin Bauer van Straten.[19][20]
She debuts in a flashback of the first season episode "
She later returns in an undead form in the second season episode "
She acts as one of the main antagonists in the second half of the
In the spin-off series
Video games
Kingdom Hearts series
Maleficent appears as one of the main antagonists in the
She appears in the first
In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004), Maleficent fills the same role as a fragment of Sora's memories.
Maleficent is resurrected in Kingdom Hearts II (2005), where with Pete's help she tries to find a new base of operations and assemble a new group of villains.[21]
She and Pete return in Kingdom Hearts Coded (2008), where they are transported into the Datascape to conquer the data worlds.[21]
Maleficent's past is explored in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (2010), where she appears on her home world, Enchanted Dominion, fulfilling the same role as in Sleeping Beauty.[21]
In
She appears in
During Kingdom Hearts III (2019), Maleficent and Pete focus on traveling the worlds in search of the Black Box.[21]
Other games
Maleficent is the final boss in the North American version of the
Maleficent, sporting her appearance from the 2014 live-action film, is a playable character in the
Maleficent acts as the main antagonist in the video game Disney Magic Kingdoms (2016), where she casts a curse on the titular Kingdom.[23] She also usually appears in limited time Events known as Tower Challenges, where she takes part in the Boss Battle of the event.[24]
Maleficent is a playable character in the game Disney Heroes Battle Mode. [25]
An alternate version of Maleficent appears as a playable character in the video game Disney Mirrorverse.[26]
Theme parks
Maleficent sometimes appears in
Printed media
In the book series by Ridley Pearson, Kingdom Keepers, Maleficent appears as one of the first Overtakers encountered as she intends to leave the confines of Disney World to take over the world.
Maleficent was featured in the book sequel to Sleeping Beauty called Maleficent's Revenge.
Maleficent is the protagonist in Serena Valentino's Disney Villains franchise book Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy.[28]
The Simpsons shorts
In
In another The Simpsons short,
Other appearances
Maleficent appears in her dragon form as a minor antagonist in the Lego animated special Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest (2023), being a sidekick of Gaston, but after the princesses notice that her wing is damaged and help restore it, this leads to Maleficent siding with the princesses, and she defeats Gaston to help them.
Maleficent has a cameo appearance in the short film Once Upon a Studio (2023), as part of the Walt Disney Animation Studios characters who gather to take a group photo.[31]
Maleficent appears during the end credits of the 2023 film Wish.
Reception
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2014) |
The original version of Maleficent has been called as "one of the most sinister
Maleficent's live-action version from the film series of the same name has received critical attention, different from its original, animated counterpart. Benjamin Justice describes this version of Maleficent as "a full person, good and evil, powerful and vulnerable, vengeful and loving" and notes that, while she and Aurora value heterosexual relationships and love, neither of them "let the idea of [one true love] define the arc of the personal or public lives."[36] When analyzing Maleficent's disability after she loses her wings due to Stephan's betrayal, Colleen Elaine Donnelly compares her role to that of Elphaba in Wicked, explaining that in both cases, the story "intends to reform the stereotype of the evil witch by providing a backstory."[8]
References
- ^ "Voice(s) of Maleficent". Behind The Voice Actors.
- ^ "How Well Do You Know... Sleeping Beauty?". Disney Insider. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ISBN 978-0786863365.
- ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
- ^ "Audley, Eleanor - D23". d23.com. September 6, 2015.
- ^ Good Morning America [@GMA] (March 6, 2019). ""Maleficent: Mistress of Evil," the sequel to Disney's "Maleficent," will be released nationwide October 18, 2019. gma.abc/2HNA1Wz Take a look at the new teaser poster!" (Tweet). Retrieved March 6, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Dictionary.com". 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ^ . Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- ^ ISBN 0253209781.
- .
- ^ a b "Maleficent Character History". Disney.go.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2003. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ "Lady Tremaine and Stepsisters Character History". Disney.go.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2003. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ R.H. Greene (15 February 2014). "The real Maleficent: The surprising human face behind the "Sleeping Beauty" villain". Salon.
- ^ Panych, Sofia (May 16, 2014). "Allure Exclusive: The Scoop on Angelina Jolie's Makeup in Maleficent". Allure. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ^ Kristin Chenoweth to play Maleficent in Disney's original movie 'Descendants' Entertainment Weekly, Retrieved May 5, 2014
- ^ Denise Petski (February 15, 2023). "'The Pocketwatch' Casts Teen Versions Of Maleficent, Aladdin, Jasmine, Prince Charming & More; Sam Morelos Among New Additions To 'The Descendants' Offshoot". Deadline.
- ^ "House of Mouse". IMDb. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ "Mickey's House of Villains". IMDb. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ "Kristin Bauer Gets Once Upon a Time". KristinBauer.net. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (November 19, 2014). "Once Upon a Time casts Alias vet Merrin Dungey". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "Maleficent - Kingdom Hearts Insider". khinsider. October 4, 2012.
- ^ "Merida and Maleficent Are Coming to Disney Infinity". Disney Blogs.
- ^ Disney Magic Kingdoms (Gameloft) (March 17, 2016). "Disney Magic Kingdoms - Official Launch Trailer". YouTube.
- ^ Disney Magic Kingdoms (Gameloft) (April 25, 2018). "Update 20: Bambi | Livestream". YouTube.
- ^ "Update 1.4 Patch Notes". Disney Heroes: Battle Mode. 2018-10-16. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- ^ "Maleficent - Disney Mirrorverse". Kabam.
- ^ "Character Central | Maleficent". charactercentral.net. January 16, 2011.
- ^ Reif, Alex (December 28, 2017). "Book Review – "Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy"". LaughingPlace.com. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ Celestino, Mike (2021-11-12). "TV Review: "The Simpsons in Plusaversary" Pays Irreverent Homage to the House of Mouse On Disney+ Day". LaughingPlace.com. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ Reif, Alex (2022-09-08). "TV Recap: "The Simpsons: Welcome to the Club" Brings Disney Villains to Springfield". LaughingPlace.com. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
- ^ Reif, Alex (October 16, 2023). "Disney's "Once Upon a Studio" – List of Characters in Order of Appearance". Laughing Place.
- ^ "Sleeping Beauty (1959)" Archived 2012-06-26 at the Wayback Machine. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
- ^ Üner, Ayşe Melda (July 20, 2017). "Intertextual transformation of a fairy tale from Sleeping Beauty to Maleficent" (PDF). Balıkesir University the Journal of Social Sciences Institute. 20 (38): 371–382. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- ^ "An Unexpected Party Chat transcript now available! from Weta Holics" (PDF). WetaNZ.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
- ^ The Frisky (January 29, 2016). "Linguists Have Nailed The Exact Problem With Disney's Princess Movies". The Frisky. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ Justice, Benjamin (September 1, 2014). "Maleficent Reborn: Disney's Fairytale View of Gender Reaches Puberty". Social Education. 78 (4): 194–198. Retrieved August 29, 2019.