Netflix Acquires Pablo Larraín's Biopic 'Maria' Starring Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas

By: Shawn
Netflix has acquired Pablo Larraín's biopic "Maria," starring Angelina Jolie as the famous opera singer Maria Callas, for US distribution.

"I'm thrilled to work again with the Netflix team, who are so passionate about movies. Larraín stated that this picture is his most personal work to date. "It is a creative envisioning and psychological depiction of Maria Callas who, after dedicated her life to performing for audiences all over the world, decides to finally discover her own voice, her own identity, and sing for herself. I am profoundly privileged to tell this tale and share it with audiences all across the world, just like Maria did with her life."

Netflix picks up Pablo Larraín's biopic 'Maria' starring Angelina Jolie as opera legend Maria Callas, set to premiere at Venice Film Festival before streaming on Netflix.
Courtesy of Venice Film Festival

In the run-up to the event, the streamer outbid at least one major distributor. Netflix appears to be a perfect fit for the film, which will be positioned around the awards season. Larraín's trilogy of inspiring female heroines concludes with this highly anticipated picture. Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in "Spencer" and Natalie Portman as Kennedy Onassis in "Jackie" were both nominated for best actress.

Based on true stories, the film delves into the life of Callas, an American-born Greek soprano vocalist and one of the most famous opera singers of the twentieth century. "Maria" follows her dying days in 1970s Paris and features Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alba Rohrwacher, Pierfrancesco Favino, and Valeria Golino.

Jolie's clothing are inspired by Callas' real-life outfits, including old fur from Massimo Cantini Parrini's archive.

Two years ago, Larraín revealed Jolie's casting as a combination of his personal interests for cinema and opera. "To do this with Angelina, a supremely brave and curious artist, is a fascinating opportunity."

The film was written by Oscar contender and "Peaky Blinders" scribe Steven Knight, who previously wrote Larraín's picture "Spencer." Edward Lachman ("El Conde," "Carol") is the cinematographer.

"Maria" is produced by Juan de Dios Larraín, Lorenzo Mieli, and Jonas Dornbach and comes from production companies The Apartment (a Fremantle Company), Fabula, and Komplizen & Fremantle.

"We are delighted that Pablo Larraín's extraordinary piece of filmmaking, 'Maria,' with its incredible performance by Angelina Jolie, has found its US home at Netflix," Fremantle's Andrea Scrosati stated. "I know they will give it the best possible support and we are grateful to Glen and his FilmNation team for spearheading the sale."

This is Netflix's second film directed by Larraín, after "El Conde" (2023), which got an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. "Maria" marks Fabula's ninth collaboration with Netflix, which also includes Maite Alberdi's upcoming feature "In Her Place."

"I'm pleased that we are continuing to work with Pablo and Fabula - this is our seventh production with them, the most recent being 'El Conde,' and they are producing the upcoming 'In Her Place,'" Netflix's film chairman Dan Lin said in a statement. "Pablo maintains a wonderful run of examining great women in film, this time with the incredible Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas."

The film will make its international premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29.

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