If you love films about glamorous icons from the 20th century, you'll love Maria. The director, Pablo Larraín, has good form in this area: his films include the 2016 drama Jackie, which stars Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the 2021 biopic Spencer, in which Kristen Stewart plays a very demure, very mindful Princess Diana.
Larraín’s new film puts the spotlight on Maria Callas, an American-born Greek opera singer who is considered to be one of the best opera singers of all time — a true diva. Her vibe gives Audrey Hepburn — graceful and elegant with incredible winged eyeliner. If she had an aesthetic, it would be tomato girl summer meets vintage coquette.
The film has just debuted at the Venice Film Festival alongside the new Beetlejuice sequel (Jenna Ortega is the goth we never knew we needed) and the new Joker sequel, which stars Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.
Read on to find out what Maria is about, who to look out for among the cast, and when you’ll be able to watch it.
What is Maria about?
Austin Butler as Elvis, Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein, and even Daniel Radcliffe as ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic. Yes, we are well and truly in the era of the musical biopic. Maria puts the life of enchanting mid-century opera singer Maria Callas under the spotlight, focusing on her final days in 1970s Paris.
Everything is as decadent as you would expect from the French capital during this era, from the grand chandelier to the grand piano — which the now-retired Callas insists her butler and housekeeper move from room to room on a daily basis.
The plot is driven by Callas (played by Angelina Jolie) talking to an imaginary film crew, the hallucinations supposedly caused by all the pills she is taking. We see flashbacks to her former glory days, and there’s a big emphasis on her relationship with the business magnate Aristotle Onassis — yes, the same Onassis who married Jackie Kennedy.
The film is full of witty dialogue and if you love watching Emily in Paris for beautiful shots of Paris and even more beautiful outfits, then you’ll love this.
Taylor Swift and Emily Cooper both having the Vivienne Westwood heart bag is my multiverse of madness, personally.
Is Maria based on a true story?
Maria is based on the true story of Greek-American opera singer Maria Callas. It depicts the tragedy of the singer's final days, with flashbacks to the highs of her life, such as stealing the show as a last-minute replacement for another singer in Venice in 1949.
The film's director, Pablo Larraín, describes it as a “creative imagining and psychological portrait of Maria Callas.”
Who stars in Maria?
Angelina Jolie takes the lead in this film, playing the title role of Maria Callas. In the scenes where the opera star is singing, it really is Jolie’s voice, although they have mixed it with the real voice of Callas. It’s Jolie’s first film in three years, and she’s been tipped to win her second Oscar after an eight-minute standing ovation at the film’s debut in Venice.
Maria also stars Pierfrancesco Favino as Callas’ butler, who critics have said is the film’s “most touching character”. Favino is an Italian actor who has appeared in both Italian and American films, including Night at the Museum, The Chronicles of Narnia, and World War Z.
Callas’ housekeeper is played by Alba Rohrwacher, an Italian actress who has mostly starred in Italian films. Where the plot is led by Callas talking to an imaginary documentary interviewer, this part is played by Kodi Smit-McPhee. Smit-McPhee is an Australian actor who played Nightcrawler in X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016 and was the star of the 2021 film The Power of the Dog.
Is there a trailer for Maria?
There isn't an official trailer yet, but now that the film has made its world debut, we expect that a trailer will be available soon.
When will Maria be released in the UK?
Maria had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on 29 August 2024. It is expected to be released in the UK at a later date, so make sure you keep your eye out for updates.
