Angelina Jolie was ''really emotional'' when her children listened to her read 'Maleficent'.

The 38-year-old actress plays the title role in the reimagining of the 'Sleeping Beauty' tale and was delighted when her six kids, Maddox, 12, Pax, 10, Zahara, nine, Shiloh, eight, and five-year-old Knox and Vivienne, enjoyed the story when she ran through the script with them.

She said: ''I got really emotional because the script is very powerful. The kids loved it.''

Though the tale is aimed at children, the actress - who is engaged to Brad Pitt - thinks it is interesting enough to keep adults gripped too.

She told Psychologies magazine: ''We tried to make this sophisticated enough that adults will read things into it that kids won't.

''Parents watching the movie will identify with Maleficent in a different way, which I think is fun.''

The brunette beauty was overjoyed to be offered the lead role in the film because Maleficent is a character she has always been ''fascinated'' by.

She said: ''I was afraid of her, but I loved her too because she was this elegant, sexy, evil creature. I was drawn to her.

''I was fascinated by her as a child. I thought she was the scariest and most interesting of all the Disney characters. But I wanted to know more about her. Who is that gorgeous, elegant creature? So I loved the idea of playing a Disney villain. It sounded so much fun.''