After a three-and-a-half-year absence from the screen, Jolie starred in "Maleficent" (2014), a live-action re-imagining of Disney's 1959 animation "Sleeping Beauty". Critical reception was mixed, but Jolie's performance in the titular role was singled out for praise; "The Hollywood Reporter" critic Sherri Linden found her to be the "heart and soul" of the film, adding that she "doesn't chew the estimable scenery in "Maleficent"—she infuses it, wielding a magnetic and effortless power." In its opening weekend, "Maleficent" earned nearly $70 million at the North American box office and over $100 million in other markets, marking Jolie's appeal to audiences of all demographics in both action and fantasy films, genres usually dominated by male actors. The film went on to gross $757.8 million worldwide, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year and Jolie's highest-grossing film ever.