Venice Film Festival Welcomes Angelina Jolie and Her Film ‘Maria’

Angelina Jolie has portrayed a variety of intriguing characters throughout her career, from an evil queen to an international spy. Now, she adds another iconic role to her resume: legendary soprano Maria Callas.

Jolie stars in “Maria,” a film directed by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín. This much-anticipated movie will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday night.

Larraín, a regular at the Venice Film Festival, is known for exploring the lives of famous women with tragic narratives. In 2016, he captivated audiences with “Jackie,” a film about Jackie Kennedy starring Natalie Portman. The portrayal of the first lady following her husband’s assassination earned Portman an Oscar nomination. In 2021, he returned with “Spencer,” starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, which also earned its lead actress an Oscar nomination.

“Maria” serves as the final chapter in Larraín’s trilogy about historical women. However, Maria Callas might not be as familiar to younger generations who missed the peak of her fame and the scandals that followed her. Born Maria Kalogeropoulos to Greek parents in New York, Callas made her professional debut in Athens at the age of 17.

During her short life, Callas became one of the most distinguished opera singers of all time. Her exceptional voice and stage presence captivated audiences, but her life offstage attracted intense scrutiny. Whether it was her demanding nature, her weight fluctuations, or her tumultuous romantic life, the public and media alike were fascinated by her. One of her most famous relationships was with shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who left her to marry Jackie Kennedy.

Callas’s life was tragically cut short when she died of a heart attack in Paris at the age of 53.

In preparation for her role as Callas, Jolie underwent six months of training. Larraín shared with Vanity Fair that the singing in the film, which reportedly centers on the final week of Callas’s life in 1977, incorporates a mix of Jolie’s voice and Callas’s original recordings.

Jolie has received two Academy Award nominations for her acting. She won for her supporting role in “Girl, Interrupted” and was last nominated for her leading role in Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling.”

“Maria” was recently acquired by Netflix for distribution.

Interestingly, Jolie is expected to leave Venice before her ex-husband Brad Pitt arrives for the premiere of his film “Wolfs” on Sunday. Though they have been legally single since 2019, their ongoing disputes over custody, finances, and a winery in France continue.

“Maria” is one of the 21 films competing for the festival’s awards, which will be announced on September 7.

Source: AP News