3. Maleficent
This must have been the worst movie summer in living memory to have been a young child. When the best Hollywood offers you is an upgraded DVD movie about talking aeroplanes, it’s no wonder the Nick Jr crowd went to see this in their droves. Maleficent’s steady hold after its $69m opening weekend suggests that a lot of them went to see it at least twice. A strange concept, bewildering character motivations and a suspicion that it might be too scary for the little ones were all causes for concern.
Ultimately, this was Disney doing what it does best and all the money in the world can’t buy you a special effect as dazzling as Angelina Jolie. This iconic role gave her the biggest hit of her career – $237 million and counting.