Maleficent.....the movie

Maleficent (/məˈlɛfɪsənt/) is a 2014 dark fantasy adventure film directed by Robert Stromberg from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton. Starring Angelina Jolie as the eponymous Disney villainess character, the film is a live-action re-imagining of Walt Disney's 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty, and portrays the story from the perspective of the antagonist, Maleficent.

Principal photography took place between June and October 2012. The film was released by Walt Disney Pictures in the UK on May 28, 2014 and in the U.S. on May 30, 2014 in the Disney Digital 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D formats, as well as in conventional theaters. The film was met with mixed reviews from critics.

An elderly woman narrates and tells the story of Maleficent, a young and powerful fairy living in The Moors, a magical realm bordering a human kingdom. As a young girl, she falls in love with a human peasant boy named Stefan, whose infatuation with Maleficent is overshadowed by his ambition to become king. As they grow older, the two drift apart until one day Stefan stops coming to see her. After Maleficent defeats the current king in battle during an attack on The Moors, the king becomes fatally ill and his underlings are tasked with avenging his death, the king promising that whoever kills Maleficent will become the new king. Stefan sees his pathway to kingship open, and decides to go after Maleficent. Visiting her at night, Stefan drugs her to sleep, but can't bring himself to kill her. Instead he burns off her wings using iron (a lethal substance to faeries) and presents them to the king as proof she was slain. The king mounts the wings in a display case and dies, but not before anointing Stefan as the new king. Heartbroken by Stefan's betrayal and the loss of her wings, Maleficent begins building a darker kingdom in the faerie realm. She takes a raven, Diaval, as her one companion and confidant, constantly shape-shifting him from man to bird and other animals.

CAST

• Angelina Jolie as Maleficent^[5]
  • Ella Purnell and Isobelle Molloy as young Maleficent^[6][7][8]
• Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora^[5]
  • Vivienne Jolie-Pitt^[9] and Eleanor Worthington Cox^[10] as young Princess Aurora
  • Janet McTeer as elderly Aurora (the film's narrator)^[11]
• Sharlto Copley as King Stefan^[5]
  • Michael Higgins as young Stefan^[12]
• Sam Riley as Diaval – a raven shapeshifter and Maleficent's confidant.^[5]
• Imelda Staunton as Knotgrass - a pixie charged with raising Aurora in secret until her 16th birthday.^[5]
• Juno Temple as Thistlewit - a pixie charged with raising Aurora in secret until her 16th birthday.^[13]
• Lesley Manville as Flittle - a pixie charged with raising Aurora in secret until her 16th birthday.^[5]
• Brenton Thwaites as Phillip – a young prince who falls in love with Aurora while traveling through the forest.^[14]
• Kenneth Cranham as King Henry – a monarch determined to conquer the forest realm.^[5][15]
• Hannah New as Leila - King Henry's daughter who marries Stefan, and Princess Aurora's mother

World Cup 2014: Latest Odds, Schedule Info and More for FIFA Tournament

The carnival of world football is about to kick-off in Brazil as the World Cup comes to South America for the first time since 1978.

The hosts, and the bordering rivals Argentina, are the clear favourites to make the competition a continental home victory.

Here we take at the latest full odds of who will win the World Cup, as well as providing you scheduling information for your organisational needs. 

Full Odds To Win The World Cup

Odds To Win The 2014 World Cup

Team	Odds
Brazil	3/1
Argentina	9/2
Germany	13/2
Spain	13/2
Belgium	22/1
France	25/1
Italy	28/1
England	28/1
Portugal	29/1
Uruguay	33/1
Netherlands	39/1
Colombia	45/1
Chile	51/1
Russia	100/1
Switzerland	150/1
Ivory Coast	150/1
Japan	180/1
Bosnia-Herzegovina	208/1
Croatia	246/1
Mexico	256/1
Ecuador	303/1
Ghana	322/1
Nigeria	360/1
United States	370/1
Greece	408/1
South Korea	626/1
Cameroon	1000/1
Algeria	2500/1
Australia	2500/1
Iran	3000/1
Costa Rica	4000/1
Honduras	4000/1

There is no pressure on Brazil. Brazil are not under pressure to be the world champions. Brazil will be the champions. I wouldn't have accepted the Brazil job if I didn't think we could win the World Cup. I wouldn't be leading the team I'd be sitting at home. I took this job because I'm 100 per cent convinced that I will win the World Cup with Brazil.

There is a huge drop in the odds once you look past the four betting powerhouses, with Belgium the surprise at 22/1 as fifth favourite.

Led by Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany, Belgium are packed with a host of new stars of European football. With the likes ofEden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Adnan Januzaj in their ranks, the Belgians might be the best chance of an outside bet to win the competition.

Colombia and Chile represent a great opportunity for punters at 40/1 and 50/1 respectively.

Both nations cannot be discounted on South American soil and will have no problems playing their best football in the Brazilian heat.

This is something the European sides will not be able to boast.

Full Group Schedules

Group A Fixtures

Date	Match	Time	Venue
June 12	Brazil vs. Croatia	9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET	Sao Paulo
June 13	Mexico vs. Cameroon	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Natal
June 17	Brazil vs. Mexico	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET	Fortaleza
June 18	Cameroon vs. Croatia	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET	Manaus
June 23	Cameroon vs. Brazil	9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET	Brasilia
June 23	Croatia vs. Mexico	9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET	Recife

FIFA.com

Group B Fixtures

Date	Match	Time	Venue
June 13	Spain vs. Netherlands	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET	Salvador
June 13	Chile vs. Australia	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Cuiaba
June 18	Spain vs. Chile	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Rio de Janeiro
June 18	Australia vs. Netherlands	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Porto Alegre
June 23	Australia vs. Spain	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Curitiba
June 23	Netherlands vs. Chile	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Sao Paulo

FIFA.com

Group C Fixtures

Date	Match	Time	Venue
June 14	Colombia vs. Greece	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Belo Horizonte
June 14	Ivory Coast vs. Japan	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Recife
June 19	Colombia vs. Ivory Coast	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Brasilia
June 19	Japan vs. Greece	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Natal
June 24	Japan vs. Colombia	9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET	Cuiaba
June 24	Greece vs. Ivory Coast	9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET	Fortaleza

FIFA.com

Group D Fixtures

Date	Match	Time	Venue
June 14	Uruguay vs. Costa Rica	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET	Fortaleza
June 14	England vs. Italy	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Manaus
June 19	Uruguay vs. England	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET	Sao Paulo
June 20	Italy vs. Costa Rica	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Recife
June 24	Italy vs. Uruguay	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Natal
June 24	Costa Rica vs. England	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Belo Horizonte

FIFA.com

Group E Fixtures

Date	Match	Time	Venue
June 15	Switzerland vs. Ecuador	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Brasilia
June 15	France vs. Honduras	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET	Porto Alegre
June 20	Switzerland vs. France	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET	Salvador
June 20	Honduras vs. Ecuador	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Curitiba
June 25	Honduras vs. Switzerland	9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET	Manaus
June 25	Ecuador vs. France	9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET	Rio de Janeiro

FIFA.com

Group F Fixtures

Date	Match	Time	Venue
June 15	Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Rio de Janeiro
June 16	Iran vs. Nigeria	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET	Curitiba
June 21	Argentina vs. Iran	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Belo Horizonte
June 21	Nigeria vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Cuiaba
June 25	Nigeria vs. Argentina	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Porto Alegre
June 25	Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iran	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Salvador

FIFA.com

Group G Fixtures

Date	Match	Time	Venue
June 16	Germany vs. Portugal	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Salvador
June 16	Ghana vs. United States	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Natal
June 21	Germany vs. Ghana	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET	Fortaleza
June 22	United States vs. Portugal	8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET	Manaus
June 26	United States vs. Germany	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Recife
June 26	Portugal vs. Ghana	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Brasilia

FIFA.com

Group H Fixtures

Date	Match	Time	Venue
June 17	Belgium vs. Algeria	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Belo Horizonte
June 17	Russia vs. South Korea	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Cuiaba
June 22	Belgium vs. Russia	11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	Rio de Janeiro
June 22	South Korea vs. Algeria	5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET	Porto Alegre
June 26	South Korea vs. Belgium	9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET	Sao Paulo
June 26	Algeria vs. Russia	9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET	Curitiba

The competition kicks off on June 12 as Brazil face a dangerous Croatian side.

It is a tricky first test for Neymar and company and despite being overwhelming favourites for the match, a surprise could happen.

Scolari's boys are as short as 1/3 to win the game, per Oddschecker, but those numbers are drifting slightly.

You can get Croatia to win the game at as long as 11/1 and for a one-off football match those are very tempting odds.

However, the draw is 4/1 and this perhaps represents the best value for a less risky bet for fans.

As you would expect, Neymar is plugged in as first goalscorer for the match at 3/1 with Fred at 4/1.

You can also pick up numbers of 14/1 on no goals being scored which seems appealing as a double with the odds for a draw.

However, Brazil will be switched on for this encounter and should see their European opposition off in some style. An early goal could open the flood gates and see the golden shirts of the hosts pull off an emphatic victory.

Brazil do have the class to go on and win this tournament but the threat of Argentina is clear and present. Lionel Messi is ready to perform on the biggest stage of all and what could be more of a motivation than to win a World Cup on Argentina's most bitter rival's home soil.