Maleficent is a 2014 American fantasy film directed by Robert Stromberg from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton. The film stars Angelina Jolie as the title character, with Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville in supporting roles. Loosely inspired by Charles Perrault's original fairy tale, the film is a live action retelling of Walt Disney's 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty, and portrays the story from the perspective of the eponymous antagonist, depicting her conflicted relationship with the king and princess of a corrupt kingdom.