Angelina Jolie Says ‘Maria’ Biopic Reflects “Darker Times” in Opera Legend’s Life

Angelina Jolie says Maria, her latest movie where she plays the world’s greatest opera singer, is about an artist faced with creative struggles and doubt.

“Towards the end of her life of her life she had highs and the greatest highs, were where she could really feel she was connecting, and she had times where she felt she couldn’t, and it really broke her and she felt she wasn’t able to connect,” Jolie added when introducing a private screening at the Toronto Film Festival on Sunday.

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Pablo Larrain’s biopic Maria, based on true accounts, tells the tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest opera singer, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris.

Jolie, introducing the film, said Callas passed away during “darker times in her life.” So the film’s lead welcomed the Toronto audience and screening, “because I wish she was here and she could see you’re here to learn about her life and remember her music and to be among people who appreciate art.”

Netflix picked up Larrain’s Maria ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Aug. 29. Following its debut on the Lido and the Toronto screening, the film will launch on the streaming site at an undisclosed date.

Alongside Jolie, the cast also includes Pierfrancesco Favino (Adagio, The Hummingbird), Alba Rohrwacher (La Chimera, Hungry Hearts), Haluk Bilginer (Winter Sleep), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog, Elvis) and Valeria Golino (Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Caos Calmo).

The script was written by Steven Knight (Spencer, Peaky Blinders, Eastern Promises). Producers include Juan de Dios Larraín for Fabula, Jonas Dornbach for Komplizen Film and Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment, a Fremantle Company. Worldwide sales for Maria will be handled by FilmNation Entertainment

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