At the Venice Film Festival premiere of her upcoming film “Maria,” the Oscar-winner was met with a roaring and reportedly lengthy ovation following the screening, leaving her visibly emotional. Jolie, who stars as Maria Callas, was seen wiping tears from her face as she was escorted down a staircase amid the thunderous applause, as shown in video footage. The film’s director, Pablo Larraín, and cast members Alba Rohrwacher and Pierfrancesco Favino were also present in the theater on Thursday.
“Maria” is a biopic that portrays Jolie as Maria Callas, one of the world’s greatest opera singers. Set in 1970s Paris, the film delves into Callas’ tragic and tumultuous life, focusing on her final days. The movie has already generated significant Oscars buzz following its Venice premiere.
Larraín, known for directing “Jackie” in 2016 with Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and “Spencer” in 2021 with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana—both of whom received Academy Award nominations—brings his directorial prowess to this new project.
At a press conference earlier on Thursday, Jolie spoke about her connection to Callas, noting that she could relate to the opera singer in surprising ways. She mentioned sharing Callas’ vulnerability, particularly the aspect of her character that was extremely soft and emotionally open, despite the world’s harshness.
On Wednesday, Netflix announced that “Maria” will be available to stream on their platform at a later date.
