BROKEN SPELL

‘Maleficent’ Tops Box Office, Falls Below Disney’s Expectations

The low turnout marks the worst opening weekend of the year for Disney.

Maleficent’s spell appears to have run out. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, the sequel to the 2014 hit Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie, had a disappointing debut weekend, taking in nearly half of the $69 million its predecessor made during its opening weekend. Jolie’s villainess was once again accompanied by Elle Fanning, while newcomer Michelle Pfeiffer completed a rare trio of female leads. Audiences appeared to take note, as women represented 56 percent of ticket sales, about half of which were under 25. The Sleeping Beauty sorceress tale was projected to make nearly $45 million domestically, but a release at 2,790 North American theaters brought in only $36 million. The low turnout marks the worst opening weekend of the year for Disney. Despite the miscalculation, Disney’s latest blockbuster easily beat out the competition, including Warner Bros. Joker and new release Zombieland: Double Tap.