Film & TV

Angelina Jolie is Bringing Maria Callas to Life

The Oscar winner spent seven months preparing, and at the Venice Film Festival, she truly soared to new heights.

Angelina Jolie at the Venice Film Festival. Getty Images.
Angelina Jolie at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. Getty Images.

The standing ovation has become a 2024 Venice Film Festival staple, and on Thursday night, Angelina Jolie glowed as she received hers for eight whole minutes. She stars as Maria Callas in the final film of Chilean director Pablo Larrain's powerful women trilogy, which began with Jackie and, most recently, Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart

The film is a look into the life of Maria Callas, a legendary opera singer and cultural icon. More specifically, Maria offers an inside peek at a period in time when Callas had lost her way, which was reflected in a loss of confidence in her voice, an on-and-off romance with Aristotle Onassis, and the difficulties of life in the spotlight. After dedicating her life to audiences worldwide, she returns in grand fashion, finally singing for herself, rather than simply for the enjoyment of her audiences. The Manhattan-born performer's musical talent and fashions ultimately led to her being labeled La Divina ("The Divine One"). Filming began near Budapest in late 2023, with several other European countries acting as film sets.

Some of the movie's most important moments were filmed in the La Scala Opera House, where Jolie showed off her newfound vocal ability. The Oscar-winning actress had never sung before, "not even at karaoke," she joked to the Venice press last week. Jolie elaborated that when she first began, the Girl, Interrupted actress was so nervous her "boys would stay at the door to keep guard." 

Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas also made a concerted effort to construct the visual concept, helping to blend the 1940s to 1970s style with extravagant musical numbers. According to the production, Callas's costumes were made using no new fur and all ethically sourced garments. Consultations were made with animal rights groups like PETA to ensure no missed marks occurred in the costume department. 

As evidenced by the eight-minute standing ovation, Maria was incredibly well-received by audiences and critics at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, prompting speculation that this role could very well be Jolie's next Oscar-winning performance. 

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