Netflix has secured the exclusive streaming rights to ‘Maria’, an evocative biographical film that explores the life of the iconic opera singer Maria Callas. Directed by Pablo Larrain and featuring a stellar performance by Angelina Jolie as Callas, this film is set to make its grand debut at the prestigious Venice Film Festival on August 29.
The acquisition of ‘Maria’ was strategically timed, with Netflix making the announcement just ahead of the film’s world premiere. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this move underscores Netflix’s commitment to delivering high-quality, artistically significant content to its global audience.
‘Maria’ is deeply rooted in real-life events and offers a poignant look at the life of Maria Callas, one of the most celebrated opera singers in history. The narrative delves into her tumultuous experiences, offering a vivid portrayal of her final days in Paris during the 1970s. Director Pablo Larrain has emphasized that ‘Maria’ is his most personal project to date, aiming to provide a creative and psychological exploration of Callas’ life.
Expressing his enthusiasm about this collaboration, Larrain stated, “I’m thrilled to partner again with the Netflix team, who care deeply about movies. This film is my most personal work so far. It offers a creative imagining and psychological portrait of Maria Callas, who, after a lifetime of performing for audiences around the globe, finally decides to find her own voice and identity and sing for herself. I am deeply honored to share this story with a worldwide audience, just as Maria did with her life.”
The film boasts an impressive cast, including Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Valeria Golino. The script is masterfully crafted by Steven Knight, renowned for his work on ‘Spencer’ and ‘Peaky Blinders’.
Production of ‘Maria’ is handled by Juan de Dios Larrain for Fabula, Jonas Dornbach for Komplizen Film, and Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment, a Fremantle Company. FilmNation Entertainment is responsible for managing the global sales of the film, ensuring that this powerful story reaches audiences worldwide.