Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Budget
FamilyFantasyAdventure1h 59mUpdated
Synopsis
The film continues to explore the complex relationship between the horned fairy and the soon to be Queen as they form new alliances and face new adversaries in their struggle to protect the moors and the magical creatures that reside within.
What is the budget of Maleficent Mistress of Evil?
"Maleficent Mistress of Evil," a family released in 2019, was directed by Joachim Rønning and stars Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning. The production budget was $185,000,000, placing it in the blockbuster range for family productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a family production like this include:
- Talent Salaries & Producing Deals: Established comedic talent can command $15 to 20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals.
- Production & Location Filming: While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.
- Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising): Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum.
- Casting: In April 2018, Ed Skrein was cast in the film to play a dark fae, with Elle Fanning returning to play Princess Aurora from the previous film. named Queen Ingrith.
What were the major cost factors in Maleficent Mistress of Evil?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Maleficent Mistress of Evil."
- Talent Salaries: Talent Salaries & Producing Deals is one of the primary cost drivers in family productions of this scale.
- Production: Production & Location Filming is one of the primary cost drivers in family productions of this scale.
- Marketing: Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) is one of the primary cost drivers in family productions of this scale.
How Does Maleficent Mistress of Evil's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $185,000,000, Maleficent Mistress of Evil sits in the blockbuster range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- The Dark Knight (2008): Budget $185,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,004,558,444
- Brave (2012): Budget $185,000,000, Worldwide Gross $538,983,207
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008): Budget $185,000,000, Worldwide Gross $786,636,033
- Kong: Skull Island (2017): Budget $185,000,000 , Gross $566,652,812
- Doctor Strange (2016): Budget $180,000,000, Worldwide Gross $676,343,174
The median budget for wide-release family films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Maleficent Mistress of Evil Box Office Performance
"Maleficent Mistress of Evil" earned $65,412,000 domestically and $491,730,089 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $185,000,000, the film performed strongly at the box office.
- Production Budget: $185,000,000
- Estimated Prints & Advertising (P&A): approximately $150,000,000
- Total Estimated Investment: approximately $335,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $491,730,089
- Net Return: approximately +$306,730,089
- ROI: approximately +166%
At approximately +166%, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil returned roughly $2.66 for every $1 of production budget invested during its theatrical run.
The 13/87 domestic-to-international split saw $65,412,000 from North America and $426,318,089 from overseas markets.
Maleficent Mistress of Evil Production History
In April 2018, Ed Skrein was cast in the film to play a dark fae, with Elle Fanning returning to play Princess Aurora from the previous film. named Queen Ingrith. In May 2018, it was announced that Harris Dickinson would replace Brenton Thwaites in the role of Prince Philip, due to scheduling conflicts with the latter actor.
Principal photography began on May 29, 2018, at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. [Filming] Principal photography began on May 29, 2018, at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England.
On May 22, 2019, it was revealed that the film's score would be composed by Geoff Zanelli, replacing James Newton Howard from the previous film. The film marks Zanelli and Rønning's second collaboration, after Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The score album was released on October 18, 2019 by Walt Disney Records.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 1 win & 11 nominations total
Critical Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported the film holds an approval rating of 40% based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critics consensus reads: "While it's far from cursed, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil too rarely supports its impressive cast and visuals with enough magical storytelling to justify its existence." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100 based on 40 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Maleficent: Mistress of Evil cost to make?
The production budget was $185,000,000. Walt Disney Pictures produced the sequel as one of its larger 2019 live-action investments, with extensive CGI work for the Moors creatures, the Dark Fey winged characters, and the climactic castle battle.
How much did Mistress of Evil earn at the box office?
The film grossed $113,924,294 domestically and $377,200,000 internationally, for a worldwide total of $491,730,089. It opened to a soft $36,981,000 on October 18, 2019, finishing first but well below the $69,400,000 opening of the original Maleficent (2014).
Who directed Maleficent: Mistress of Evil?
Joachim Ronning directed the film. Ronning had previously co-directed Kon-Tiki (2012, $14,400,000 worldwide) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017, $230,000,000 budget, $794,800,000 worldwide) for Disney, which led to the Maleficent sequel assignment.
Who stars in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil?
Angelina Jolie reprises her role as Maleficent and Elle Fanning returns as Princess Aurora. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Queen Ingrith, the antagonist, with Harris Dickinson replacing Brenton Thwaites as Prince Phillip, Sam Riley as Diaval, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Conall, and Ed Skrein as Borra.
How much was Angelina Jolie paid for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil?
Angelina Jolie reportedly earned $35,000,000 to $40,000,000 for the sequel, one of the largest paydays for an actress in 2019. Her deal included back-end participation in worldwide grosses, which delivered substantial additional compensation given the $491,730,089 total.
Where was Maleficent: Mistress of Evil filmed?
Principal photography took place at Pinewood Studios in England from May to August 2018. UK Film Tax Relief provided a 25% rebate on qualifying spending, a meaningful offset against the $185,000,000 budget. Visual effects work was distributed across Industrial Light and Magic, MPC, and DNEG.
What did critics think of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil?
Reviews were mixed, with a 39% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 43 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Critics praised Michelle Pfeiffer's villainous performance and the visual design but objected to a busy, overstuffed plot and a tonal shift toward war-movie spectacle.
Was Maleficent: Mistress of Evil profitable?
The theatrical performance was at or near break-even. Against the $185,000,000 production budget and an estimated $150,000,000 in worldwide marketing spend, the $491,730,089 gross fell short of the 2.5x rule for clear theatrical profitability. Disney+ launch-window streaming value and home-video revenue brought the title into modest aggregate profit.
How does Mistress of Evil compare to the original Maleficent?
The sequel underperformed the original significantly. Maleficent (2014) grossed $758,500,000 worldwide on a $180,000,000 budget. Mistress of Evil's $491,730,089 represented a 35% worldwide drop, in line with typical sequel decline patterns but disappointing given the original's breakout reception.
Will there be a Maleficent 3?
No third film has been confirmed. Disney has not announced a development slate position for a continuation, and Angelina Jolie has not publicly indicated whether she would reprise the role. The franchise's commercial slowdown makes a near-term sequel unlikely.
Filmmakers
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Official Trailer
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