3 of the Highest Grossing Films of 2014
With another year drawing to a close, at Meadows Farm Studios we thought we’d look back on what the year has meant for the film industry. Many major releases hit cinema screens in 2014 with a surprisingly high volume of cinema-goers despite recent declines. From classic fairytales, to sci-fi comic strips, to action franchises, here are three of some of the highest grossing films of this year.
Maleficent
Walt Disney’s reworking of this classic fairytale was received exceptionally well by audiences across the world. With Angelina Jolie taking on the persona of the ‘evil’ fairy Maleficent, audiences were in for a surprise as the story was told from the eponymous villainess’ point-of-view. Capturing a new light of the story, it is no surprise that the film received commercial success, with a massive $757,752,378 worldwide gross.
Jolie’s striking features and costume create the perfect contrast to Elle Fanning’s youthful naivety as Princess Aurora. The fairytale ultimately returns to the root of all fairytales, with a central love story, but one which takes a sinister turn. When Maleficent falls in love with a human, her childish innocence is ripped away from her due to a ruthless betrayal. Seeing Maleficent’s need for revenge through her own eyes gives the fairy a heart, which is then to be truly discovered in Aurora.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
The latest X-Men film gave fans a new insight into the Marvel comic story. As the seventh instalment of the X-Men film series, it became the best-reviewed due to its strong and fresh story, visual style, and acting, reaching $746,045,700 worldwide gross. Flicking between two time periods, the film follows Wolverine’s attempts to prevent the vicious war on mutants, and the humans that help them, in the future.
It is a chance for fans to see different angles to their favourite characters, including Professor Xavier, Magneto, Wolverine and Storm. The essential plot line follows the pattern of all comic strip superhero films with its fast-paced action highs and lows. It is the time travelling that sets it apart though and the focus on character relationships, as the beloved X-Men characters join forces with their younger selves to save the future from the robotic killers known as Sentinels.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (part 1)
Before the film’s release there was huge anticipation behind it from followers of the franchise, be it films, books, or both. Liongate’s decision to split Mockingjay into two parts heralded the chance to really open up the storyline. Audiences benefit from entering the world of the Districts after Katniss destroyed the Games, seeing the devastating effects. Although the film was met with mixed reviews owing to its slow-moving pace, it still gained $639,727,000 worldwide gross within a month.
Becoming the symbol of the rebellion, Katniss leads the districts in the latest battle as their ‘mockingjay’. The destruction of all Districts except District 2 caused riots to spark and strikes against the Capitol. With the characters scattered and many lost, Katniss attempts to reconnect with Peeta and save him from the mindwashing influence of President Snow and the Capitol.
If you are planning on creating a film, here at Meadows Farm Studios we have three main studios available, including a green screen room. Contact us today for further information or to book a slot so that you can create the next big movie of 2015! Visit the rest of our blog for more film news.
(All images via Screen Rant)