Family and Acceptance Are Key Themes In Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Angelina Jolie understands that part of being a mother is about letting go. At the press conference for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil she told a story of preparing her oldest for college, and how she realized that in their last week together it was more about him making sure she was ok to let him go. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, as everyone could relate to the idea of letting the ones you love find their own way, which is very much the theme of the film.
The cast of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Angelina Jolie (“Maleficent”), Michelle Pfeiffer (“Queen Ingrith”), Elle Fanning (“Princess Aurora”), Chiwetel Ejiofor (“Conall”), Ed Skrein (“Borra”), Harris Dickinson (“Prince Phillip”), Sam Riley (“Diaval”), and director Joachim Ronning, sat down to discuss the theme of family and how it’s key in the follow up to the iconic villainess film.
“The love of a child—which certainly happened for me in my life—brought out something in me that completely transformed me,” explained Jolie. “There’s a real question in the film, we get pulled apart because people tell us because you’re not the same you’re not family. Because you’re not exactly like her, you’re not her mother. And that certainly strikes a cord with me.”
“We go through a real moment in the film where everyone’s focusing on their differences, how different we are,” said Jolie. “And then there’s a real push to say, this is not how it should be, and this is not how to live, and diversity makes us stronger. There must be a better way forward, and we have to come together.”
In the first film Aurora was young and finding herself, now she comes into her own and begins making adult decisions, something Maleficent has a hard time with. “She is stronger, she has much more conviction within herself, and she’s learning how to gain her independence,” said Fanning. “I love the family theme in the movie because it’s very realistic to real life, to kind of growing up and separating, leaving the nest and making your own choices in life.”
Fanning loved that Aurora represented for girls who are strong in their own way, “We get to show the strength in accepting your femininity, and Aurora does it in a pink dress. Very badass.”
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil opens in theaters everywhere October 18th!
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