Production on Pablo Larraín‘s “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie, has begun production in Hungary. First images have been released of Jolie as opera singer Maria Callas.
The film has been granted a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement and is allowed to shoot during the strike. Production is supposed to go on until late November. A Cannes or Venice could be in the cards.
Alongside Angelina Jolie, the cast also includes Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Todd Haynes’ regular DP, the extraordinary Ed Lachman, who also shot Larraín’s “El Conde,” is lensing “Maria”.
Jolie will star as famous opera singer Maria Callas which will recount the tumultuous, beautiful, and tragic story of the life of the “world’s greatest opera singer”, relived and re-imagined during her final days in 1970s Paris. Curiously, Hungary is duplicating Paris here.
Steven Knight (“Spencer,” “Peaky Blinders,” “Eastern Promises”) wrote the script.
Larraín’s previous two biopics, “Spencer” starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana and 2016’s “Jackie,” garnered Best Actress nominations for its two lead actresses. This is said to be the trilogy capper.