The first stills have been released of a new Maria Callas biopic giving the world a first look at Angelina Jolie playing the opera singer.
The film Maria will focus on the Green soprano’s final days in Paris before her death, aged 53, in 1977. Producers have said it will take a look at "the tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest opera singer".
Pablo Larraín, the Chilean filmmaker behind biopics such as Jackie, about the life of Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Kennedy and Spencer, about Princess Diana, is directing with Steven Knight having finished the screenplay before the Hollywood writers’ strike.
Maria promises a comprehensive look at the life of the icon which will be faithful enough to satisfy long-term fans but also potentially win some new admirers.
Who is Maria Callas?
The soprano had a voice which divided opinion but marked her out as instantly recognisable while she was also hailed for her stage presence and performances.
Born in New York City, Callas moved with her family to Greece in childhood and had a difficult relationship with her mother - who wanted a son. Her singing ability allowed her to make a career first in Greece before expanding to grace stages around the world.
She earned the nickname of The Divine One and was known for having a press-induced rivalry with Italian singer Renata Tebaldi. Callas also performed heavily in the early 1950s - leading to what might have been considered her vocal decline in her later career.
What will the movie be about?
Angelina Jolie, 48, will play Callas in the final part of her career as she lived alone and as something of a recluse in Paris. She had been married to Giovanni Battista Meneghini but was romantically involved with Aristotle Onassis towards the end of her life.
Both Larraín’s films Spencer and Jackie focus on the primary subject in a short time period and it seems likely Maria will be the same - with Jolie’s portrayal set to bring the emotional baggage from Callas’s extraordinary but often difficult life.
Jolie has been pictured sporting some of the 1950s garments that Callas adorned during her life.
Other actors attached are Kodi Smit-McPhee, Valeria Golino, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, and Haluk Bilginer.
Larraín said: “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.”
When will Maria be released?
A release date has yet to be confirmed but filming will begin around December time - when Callas would have turned 100.
