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Angelina Jolie to Play Opera Singer in New Biopic from Spencer Director
Angelina Jolie will be starring in a new opera biopic from director Pablo Larraín. Larraín is a Chilean filmmaker who has been working regularly since the mid-2000s, though he didn't make his English-language feature debut until 2016 with Jackie, which starred Natalie Portman as former First Lady Jackie Kennedy in the days and years following the assassination of her husband, John F. Kennedy. After taking a brief detour to helm the Spanish-language adoption drama Ema in 2019 and the Stephen King miniseries adaptation Lisey's Story in 2021, he returned to English filmmaking with another major biopic: 2021's Spencer, which starred Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana.
Jolie has been a major figure in the industry for even longer, beginning her career as a child actress in the early 1980s, though she didn't get her major breakout role until taking the lead in Hackers in 1995. From then she went on to become one of Hollywood's premiere A-list stars, appearing in big budget blockbusters like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and its sequel Cradle of Life, more recently starring in Disney's Maleficent and its sequel as well as the MCU entry Eternals. However, she has also found a space for herself in the world of arthouse cinema, earning an Oscar nomination for the 2008 film Changeling after her win for Best Supporting Actress in 1999's Girl, Interrupted.
Per Variety, Jolie has just been cast in the new film from Larraín, his latest in his string of English-language biopics starring A-list actresses. The project, which is titled Maria, will follow opera singer Maria Callas during her final days in Paris in the 1970s. Much like Jackie and Spencer, the film will use this moment as a way for the character to reflect on her past while exploring her present circumstances.
Could This New Biopic Help Angelina Jolie Earn Her First Oscar Nom in Over a Decade?
So far, Larraín has been a good luck charm for the actresses starring in his biopics. In addition to two other nominations, Jackie earned Portman a nomination for Lead Actress, and Spencer nabbed that same honor for Stewart, though neither ended up winning for their performances. If the third time is a charm, Jolie could very well earn a nomination for this role, which would be her first since 2009.
Although Angelina Jolie was presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2014 Oscars, she hasn't been a contender in any acting categories since Changeling. This makes a certain amount of sense, as she has turned her focus more toward producing and directing projects, including Unbroken and First They Killed My Father. However, as one of Hollywood's brightest stars, it seems like high time for her to return to the Oscars stage, which is very possible considering Larraín's track record.
