History Trivia / Maleficent

** Screenwriter Linda Woolverton has stated that Phillip and Aurora will get together eventually. Woolverton's statement eventually became true [[spoiler:with the release of ''Film/MaleficentMistressOfEvil''.]]

** Screenwriter Linda Woolverton has stated that Phillip and Aurora will get together eventually.

** A little more regarding Maleficent's father: he was actually a [[http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redcap Red Cap]], one of the most feared and bloodthirsty of the Fair Folk. He would appear to Maleficent in the ruined castle near the Moors, encouraging her to slip further and further into villainy. Upon learning about Aurora's curse, he would voice his approval, stating it's the kind of thing he would have done. Maleficent would be [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame bothered]] by this.

** The girl who plays the young Aurora is played by Jolie's daughter. This had to be invoked since she was the only child that didn't get scared when she saw Angelina in costume.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:

* ApprovalOfGod: Well, approval of Dante, maybe. Mary Costa, the voice of Aurora in the original, really liked the film, and especially praised Angelina Jolie's performance.
* AwesomeDearBoy: Why Angelina Jolie signed up for the role when she heard of the project, even though she was initially skeptical of whether or not they could make a feasible story. Same goes for Elle Fanning; she grew up watching Disney Princess movies and dressing up like them, so of course playing one (who also just happened to be one of her favorite princesses) in an actual film appealed to her.

** Elle Fanning re-watched the original animated movie to pick up Aurora's character tics, particularly scenes where Aurora walked through the woods.
** Angelina Jolie also carefully watched the original film to get Eleanor Audley's speech patterns and accent right.
** Sam Riley also studied ravens in order to get a feel for Diaval's character.
* DubNameChange:
** Averted in the Russian dub: Diaval's name is still Diaval (Russian for "devil"), but the farmer yells that he must be a devil as he runs away, [[FridgeBrilliance implying that his name]] is more a LineOfSightName than anything else.
** Also Russian dub keeps the English pronunciation which makes the name sound slightly different from the word for "devil".

** Americans Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning as Maleficent and Aurora respectively. The former's accent is near-flawless, while the latter is passable.

* FakeIrish: The English Sam Riley uses an Irish accent to play Diaval.
* FakeScot: Sharlto Copley, who is South-African, puts on a Scottish accent to play King Stefan.
* TheOtherMarty: India Eisley (Eve from ''Film/UnderworldAwakening'') was originally cast as Young Maleficent, but she was replaced with Ella Purnell after Disney executives expressed displeasure with her performance.

* [[PromotedFanboy Promoted Fangirls]]: Maleficent was Angelina Jolie's favorite Disney character growing up; meanwhile, Elle Fanning loved Aurora since she was a young girl. Both got their chance to play them with this film.

* ShownTheirWork:
** The three fairies are shown playing Nine-Men's Morris, a board game very popular in Medieval England.
** Maleficent's raven has his name changed from 'Diablo' to 'Diaval' and given an Irish accent in human form. Both words are the Spanish and Irish respectively for 'devil' - though the latter is actually spelt 'diabhal'[[note]]In the Irish language, a bh together creates a v sound, so presumably this was to avoid confusing young viewers.[[/note]] In Celtic mythology, crows and ravens are also associated with the winged battle goddess the Morrigan - who seems to have partially inspired Maleficent's winged look in the film.

** It also included an actual Queen of the Fairies, Ulla, Maleficent's aunt, who cursed her with her horns to mark that she was a nuisance (her big wings were often disruptive), and King Kinloch, who ruled by her side. Miranda Richardson and Creator/PeterCapaldi were cast as these characters, respectively. Maleficent's father was also a minor character. These scenes were filmed but they were sadly cut.

** There were several [[DeletedScene scenes that were cut for time]], including:
*** Diaval being the one to suggest Maleficent revoke the curse;
*** Stefan getting the idea to murder Maleficent from King Henry, who tells him that a true king needs to sacrifice even his loved ones to gain the crown;
*** and the pixies defecting from the Moors, rather than simply coming to the christening "to foster peace and goodwill."
** Teenage Maleficent was initially played by India Eisley, given the striking resemblance between herself and Creator/AngelinaJolie, for unknown reasons India was recast with Ella Purnell.

** It also included an actual Queen of the Fairies, Ulla, Maleficent's aunt, who cursed her with her horns to mark that she was a nuisance (her big wings were often disruptive), and King Kinloch, who ruled by her side. Miranda Richardson and Peter Capaldi were cast as these characters, respectively. Maleficent's father was also a minor character. These scenes were filmed but they were sadly cut.

* DawsonCasting: Inverted. Aurora is 15/16, while Elle Fanning was 14 during filming. Compare that to the original film, where Aurora looked like she was in her 20s and was voiced by the just-under-30 Mary Costa.
* DoingItForTheArt: Elle Fanning re-watched the original animated movie to pick up Aurora's character tics, particularly scenes where Aurora walked through the woods. Sam Riley also studied ravens in order to get a feel for Diaval's character.
* DubNameChange: Averted in the Russian dub: Diaval's name is still Diaval (Russian for "devil"), but the farmer yells that he must be a devil as he runs away, [[FridgeBrilliance implying that his name]] is more a LineOfSightName than anything else.

* FakeBrit: The cast is full of them. Elle Fanning as Aurora, Sharlto Copley as King Stefan, Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Brenton Thwaites as Prince Philip.

* RealLifeRelative: The girl who plays the young Aurora is played by Jolie's daughter. This had to be invoked since she was the only child that didn't get scared when she saw Angelina in costume.

* SleeperHit: The film was expected to be a BoxOfficeBomb for Disney and despite mixed reviews, it wound being a financial hit, grossing over $700 million worldwide.
** In fact, it domestically outgrossed films such as ''Godzilla'', ''Amazing Spiderman 2'', ''X-Men: Days of Future Past'', ''22 Jump Street'', and ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''. This was in part due to a weak summer box office.

** It also included an actual Queen of the Fairies, Ulla, Maleficent's aunt, who cursed her with her horns to mark that she was a nuisance (her big wings were often disruptive), and King Kinloch, who ruled by her side. Miranda Richardson and Peter Capaldi were cast as these characters, respectively. Maleficent's father was also a minor character.These scenes were filmed but they were sadly cut.

* WordOfGod: Screenwriter Linda Woolverton has stated that Phillip and Aurora will get together eventually.

* TheOtherMarty: India Eisley (Eve from [[{{Film/Underworld}} Underworld: Awakening]]) was originally cast as Young Maleficent, but she was replaced with Ella Purnell after Disney executives expressed displeasure with her performance.

* SleeperHit: The film was expected to be a BoxOfficeBomb for Disney and despite mixed reviews, it wound being a financial hit, grossing over 700 million worldwide.
** In fact, it domestically outgrossed films such as Godzilla, Amazing Spiderman 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past, 22 Jump Street, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This was in part due to a weak summer box office.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Aurora is [[Film/{{Super 8}} Alice Dainard]]. In fact, it was Elle's performance in that film that made the filmmakers seek her out to play Aurora.
** King Stefan is [[Film/TheATeam Howling Mad Murdock]].
** Knotgrass is [[Film/HarryPotter Dolores Umbridge]]. *hem, hem* And they both wear pink!
** Thistletwit is [[Film/KillerJoe Dottie Smith]].
** Fans of [[Literature/NorthAndSouth North and South]] might recognize Flittle as Margaret's mother.
* HeyItsThatVoice:
** In the Japanese dub:
*** [[Creator/RikaFukami Maleficient]] is [[Anime/SailorMoon Sailor Venus]].
*** Aurora is voiced by the singer Aya Ueto (better know by Western audiences as ''Film/{{Azumi}}'') and Thistletwit by the impressionist Ayano Fukuda
*** [[Creator/MasakiTerasoma King Stefan]] is [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Hidan]] and [[VideoGame/BlazBlue Jubei]].
*** [[Creator/ShinnosukeTachibana Prince Phillip]] is [[Anime/GundamBuildFighters Nils Nielsen]].
** In the German dub, Diaval is voiced by Timmo Niesner, who commonly voices Elijah Wood characters (most famously [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Frodo]]).

** It also included an actual Queen of the Fairies, Ulla, Maleficent's aunt, who cursed her with her horns to mark that she was a nuisance (her big wings were often disruptive), and King Kinloch, who ruled by her side. iranda Richardson and Peter Capaldi were cast as these characters, respectively. Maleficent's father was also a minor character.These scenes were filmed but they were sadly cut.

** A little more regarding Maleficent's father: he was actually a [[http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redcap Red Cap]], one of the most feared and bloodthirsty of the Fair Folk. He would appear to Maleficent in the ruined castle near the Moors, encouraging her to slip further and further into villainy. Upon learning about Aurora's curse, he would voice is approval, stating it's the kind of thing he would have done. Maleficent would be [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame bothered]] by this.

** It also included an actual Queen of the Fairies, Ulla, Maleficent's aunt, who cursed her with her horns to mark that she was a nuisance (her big wings were often disruptive), and Maleficent's father was also a minor character. Miranda Richardson and Peter Capaldi were cast as these characters, respectively. These scenes were filmed but they were sadly cut.

** In fact, it's domestically outgrossed films such as Godzilla, Amazing Spiderman 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past, 22 Jump Street, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is in part due to a weak summer box office.

** Aurora is [[{{Super 8}} Alice Dainard]]. In fact, it was Elle's performance in that film that made the filmmakers seek her out to play Aurora.

* AwesomeDearBoy: Why Angelina Jolie signed up for the role when she heard of the project, even though she was skeptical of whether or not they could make a feasible story. Same goes for Elle Fanning; she grew up watching Disney Princess movies and dressing up like them, so of course playing one (who also just happened to be one of her favorite princesses) in an actual film appealed to her.

* DoingItForTheArt: Elle Fanning re-watched the original animated movie to pick up Aurora's character tics, particularly scenes where Aurora walked through the woods.