Netflix has officially announced its acquisition of the U.S. distribution rights for the upcoming Pablo Larraín Maria biopic starring Angelina Jolie.
The film follows the life events of legendary opera singer Maria Callas. In an official statement, Larraín said, “I’m excited to partner again with the Netflix team who care so passionately about movies. This film is my most personal work yet.” He added, “It is a creative imagining and psychological portrait of Maria Callas who, after dedicating her life to performing for audiences around the world, decides finally to find her own voice, her own identity, and sing for herself. I’m deeply honored to tell this story and share it with audiences worldwide like Maria did with her life.”
Netflix won a bidding war that led them to acquiring the rights to distribute the film in America. In the past, Netflix has been the home of of the Larraín films centered around female protagonists, including Spencer starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana and Jackie starring Natalie Portman as Kennedy Onassis. Angelina Jolie starring as Maria Callas in Maria completes the Larraín trifecta as it explores the life of the American-born Greek soprano singer, who became one of the most famous opera singers of the 20th century. The film follows her final days in 1970s Paris and sees Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alba Rohrwacher, Pierfrancesco Favino and Valeria Golino star alongside Jolie.
The film is produced by Juan de Dios Larraín, Lorenzo Mieli and Jonas Dornbach alongside production companies The Apartment (a Fremantle Company), Fabula and Komplizen & Fremantle. The film is slated to have a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29 before hitting Netflix.
