Netflix Acquires Pablo Larraín’s ‘Maria’ Starring Angelina Jolie For U.S. Distribution

As a passionate cinephile who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of films, this news about “Maria” fills me with a palpable sense of anticipation and excitement. The prospect of witnessing Angelina Jolie bring to life the legendary opera singer Maria Callas under the visionary direction of Pablo Larraín is simply captivating. I can’t help but reminisce about my first encounter with Larraín’s work, a moment that left me spellbound and craving more.


Netflix secures the rights to distribute within the United States the biographical film “Maria,” directed by Pablo Larraín and featuring Angelina Jolie in the role of the iconic opera singer Maria Callas.

Larraín expressed his enthusiasm about collaborating once more with the Netflix team, who have a deep love for cinema. He described this upcoming film as his most intimate project thus far, stating, “It delves into the creative mind and personal journey of Maria Callas, a woman who spent her life performing for global audiences. Now, she embarks on a quest to discover her own voice, her true identity, and sing for herself. I feel incredibly privileged to bring this story to life and share it with viewers across the globe, much like Maria shared her life through her performances.”

“Maria” also stars Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alba Rohrwacher, Pierfrancesco Favino and Valeria Golino.

The movie was crafted by acclaimed screenwriter Steven Knight, who has been nominated for an Oscar and is also known for writing the series “Peaky Blinders.” Previously, he wrote the film “Spencer,” directed by Larraín. Edward Lachman, known for his work on “El Conde” and “Carol,” handled the cinematography.

Maria is created by Juan de Dios Larraín, Lorenzo Mieli, and Jonas Dornbach, and it originates from the production houses: The Apartment (a Fremantle Company), Fabula, and Komplizen & Fremantle.

“Andrea Scrosati from Fremantle expressed joy over Pablo Larraín’s remarkable film, Maria, which showcases an exceptional performance by Angelina Jolie, now finding its US platform at Netflix. Scrosati believes Netflix will provide optimal support and expresses gratitude to Glen and the FilmNation team for leading the deal.”

As a movie enthusiast, I’m excited to share that after the acclaimed “El Conde” (2023), which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography, I find myself looking forward to another film directed by Larraín – the upcoming production titled “Maria.” Interestingly, this will be the seventh collaboration between Fabula and Netflix, with Maite Alberdi’s forthcoming film, “In Her Place,” also being part of this productive partnership.

Netflix’s film chief Dan Lin expressed his enthusiasm about the ongoing collaboration with Pablo and Fabula, marking their seventh joint project. Their latest work was ‘El Conde,’ and they are set to produce the upcoming film ‘In Her Place.’ As for the upcoming production, Pablo is extending a remarkable run of portraying iconic women in cinema, with Angelina Jolie playing the role of Maria Callas this time around.

Maria is the third movie by Larraín that delves into significant female lead characters, coming after Jackie (released in 2016) and Spencer (2021).

The film will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Aug. 29.

Read More

2024-08-28 22:48