In a big move by new head of film Dan Lin that bolsters Netflix’s awards season roster, the streamer has snapped up US rights to Pablo Larraín’s Maria starring Angelina Jolie ahead of Thursday’s world premiere in Venice.
Chilean auteur Larraín directed from a screenplay by Steven Knight in what is styled as a creative imagining and psychological portrait of the legendary soprano Maria Callas, set in the 1970s near the end of her life when she had lost her voice and tries to regain it.
The cast includes Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alba Rohrwacher, Pierfrancesco Favino, and Valeria Golino
Larraín said, “I’m excited to partner again with the Netflix team who care so passionately about movies. This film is my most personal work yet.”
He continued, ”It is a creative imagining and psychological portrait of Maria Callas who, after dedicating her life to performing for audiences around the world, decides finally to find her own voice, her own identity, and sing for herself. I’m deeply honoured to tell this story and share it with audiences worldwide like Maria did with her life.”
Peaky Blinders creator Knight collaborated with Larraín on Spencer, the intimate psychological portrait of Diana Spencer, that starred Kristen Stewart and premiered in Venice three years ago. Jackie, Larraín’s psychological profile of Jackie Kennedy, premiered on the Lido in 2016.
Producers on Maria are Juan de Dios Larraín, Lorenzo Mieli, and Jonas Dornbach. The Apartment, Fabula, Komplizen and Fremantle are the production companies.
Details on the timing and length of an awards-qualifying theatrical run and when the film will debut on the platform will follow in due course.
FilmNation represents worldwide rights.
This is Netflix’s second film with Larraín as director following last year’s awards contender El Conde, which earned an Oscar nomination for cinematographer Ed Lachman, who reunites with Larraín on Maria.
The new film marks the seventh production partnership between the Larraín brothers’ production company Fabula and Netflix, whose collaborations include Maite Alberdi’s upcoming film In Her Place.
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