Why Maleficent Isn't On Disney Plus In The US

Rather than simply remaking "Sleeping Beauty" — one of many animated Disney movies that surprisingly bombed way back when — in modern, live-action form, Disney took a different approach in 2014. This time around, the studio put the focus on the 1959 classic's main villain, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie, in one of her best movie roles), in a self-titled prequel film. The Robert Stromberg-directed fantasy feature did relatively well upon release, enduring as a fondly-remembered title from the 2010s. Unfortunately, for those hoping to watch it on Disney+, that's simply not possible.

Despite being a Disney production through and through, "Maleficent" isn't currently available to stream on Disney+ in the United States. The reason for this boils down to streaming rights agreements that likely date back to a time before Disney had its own platform to host its movies and TV shows. Starz secured the rights to the movie in an arrangement with Disney, so in respect to that deal, "Maleficent" is available to watch on that platform. Once this deal expires, it stands to reason that it'll return to the Disney+ library.

If nothing else, at least the second "Maleficent" movie is on the U.S. version of Disney's streaming platform.

If you're hoping to watch "Maleficent," Starz is your best bet streaming-wise. In the event you don't mind dusting off your DVD or Blu-ray player, you can always buy a physical copy through an online or brick-and-mortar retailer. But if you're absolutely adamant about watching it on Disney+, you can choose to wait it out until it inevitably returns to the U.S. version of the streamer. In the mean time, if you're interested in checking out the "Maleficent" sequel, it's on Disney+ for you to watch whenever you feel so inclined.

"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" premiered in October 2019, and while it wasn't received exceptionally well by critics, it certainly has its fans. Luckily for them, it has called Disney+ home since May 2020. It's worth noting that the film debuted a mere month before Disney+ went live. Unlike its predecessor, it seems no outside streaming deals were made to prevent it from joining the catalogue. Disney surely knew ahead of time that bringing a major theatrical release to its new streaming service as soon as possible would be beneficial, driving those who wanted to watch the film to give the platform a try.

While it's great that "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" is on Disney+ already, the fact that you can't watch "Maleficent" on the same platform first is a bit inconvenient. Hopefully, the two will reunite on Disney+ (and fans of the series will get a definitive answer regarding whether "Maleficent 3" will ever happen) sooner rather than later.