Angelina Jolie and ‘Maleficent’ spook box office with $70 million debut

June 01 2014 02:35 AM

CP28588167 — This image released by Disney shows Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, left, in a scene with her daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, portraying Young Aurora, in a scene from the film, "Maleficent." (AP Photo/Disney, Frank Connor)

Original Publication Date: June 1, 2014 2:35AM

Publication Updated: January 8, 2025 11:03PM

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Disney’s “Maleficent” cast a strong spell at the box office with a $70 million debut.

Featuring Angelina Jolie’s first live-action starring performance in years, “Maleficent” beat forecasts to easily top all films over the weekend. The PG-rated Disney release is a darker twist on “Sleeping Beauty,” told from the villain’s perspective.

Seth MacFarlane’s Western comedy “A Million Ways to Die in the West” was out-gunned by “Maleficent.” It opened in third place with a tepid $17.1 million.

Last weekend’s top film, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” dropped to second with $32.6 million.

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