The first official Maria photos for Pablo Larraín’s next biographical drama has been released, featuring the first look at Oscar winner Angelina Jolie as opera singer Maria Callas.
Maria was able to acquire a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement, allowing the project to film despite the ongoing actors strike. Production is currently underway, which will last for over 8 weeks. Filming will take place in Paris, Greece, Budapest, and Milan.
“I am incredibly excited to start production on Maria, which I hope will bring Maria Callas’s remarkable life and work to audiences all around the world, thanks to the magnificent script by Steve Knight, the work of the entire cast and crew, and especially, Angelina’s brilliant work and extraordinary preparation,” Larraín said in a statement.
Who’s involved in Maria?
Maria is being directed by Larraín from a screenplay written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. This marks the Chilean filmmaker’s follow-up to 2016’s Jackie and 2021’s Spencer, which respectively starred Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy and Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana.
Joining Jolie in the film are Pierfrancesco Favino (The Hummingbird), Alba Rohrwacher (La Chimera), Haluk Bilginer (Winter Sleep), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog), and Valeria Golino (Portrait of a Lady on Fire). It is produced by Fablua Pictures’ Juan de Dios Larraín, The Apartment Pictures’ Lorenzo Mieli, and Komlizen Film’s Jonas Dornbach.
Maria will be Jolie’s first acting project since starring in 2021’s Eternals film. She’s currently working on directing her next movie Without Blood, led by Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir.
