Angelina Jolie’s Oscar Vehicle ‘Maria’ Gets Release Date by Netflix

Angelina Jolie's highly praised performance as the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s film Maria is set to make a major impact this fall awards season.

According to exclusive information from Variety, Netflix will release the film in U.S. theaters on November 27, ahead of its streaming debut on December 11. Alongside this announcement, the streamer also unveiled a new image featuring Jolie in the role of the iconic musician.

Maria had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it received an eight-minute standing ovation at the Sala Grande Theatre. Overwhelmed by the response, Jolie was seen wiping away tears. Netflix secured distribution rights for the film after a competitive bidding war with at least one other major distributor in the run-up to the festival.

The biographical drama, directed by Larraín, explores the life of American Greek soprano Maria Callas as she withdraws to Paris, reflecting on her tumultuous and glamorous life in the public eye. The film reimagines her final days, focusing on her struggle with identity and legacy.

This marks the first time in years that Jolie is considered a serious contender for an acting award, with her last Oscar nomination dating back to 2008 for Clint Eastwood’s Changeling. Her transformation into Callas in Maria is a stunning showcase of her immense talent, perfectly embodying one of the most celebrated and influential opera singers of the 20th century.

Jolie is anticipated to receive another Oscar nomination for her work in Maria, and she currently leads Variety Awards Circuit’s best actress predictions. If nominated, she could become a frontrunner for the prestigious award, potentially earning her a second Oscar, following her win for Best Supporting Actress in 1999’s Girl, Interrupted.

Maria is part of Larraín’s trilogy of films centered on iconic women, following Jackie (2016), which starred Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy, and Spencer (2021), featuring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana. Larraín’s latest film, with a screenplay by Oscar nominee Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, 2003), is regarded as the strongest entry in the series, offering a compelling character study.

Produced by Jonas Dornbach, Janine Jackowski, Juan de Dios Larraín, and Lorenzo Mieli, Maria will next screen at the New York Film Festival on September 29 and the AFI Film Festival on October 26.

Read the whole article on Variety.