Maria: how to watch, reviews, cast, plot and everything we know about the Angelina Jolie movie

Angelina Jolie in Maria
Angelina Jolie in Maria (Image credit: Venice Film Festival)

Maria Callas was a star of the stage, one of the most influential and legendary opera singers of the 20th century. Now she is a star of the screen, portrayed by Angelina Jolie in the new biopic simply titled Maria.

Maria hails from director Pablo Larraín, who has previously brought two other iconic women of the 20th century to the screen: former first lady Jackie Onasis in Jackie and Princess Diana in Spencer. Both of those movies earned Best Actress nominations for their leading ladies (Natalie Portman in Jackie and Kristen Stewart in Spencer), and Jolie could very well be in contention for a similar achievement, as it is one of many movies in contention for possible Oscar nominations this year.

Find out more about Maria right here, as we go over all the key details for the movie that you need to know.

Maria how to watch

Maria is now available to stream on Netflix (subscription required).

Maria cast

As mentioned, starring in Maria is Angelina Jolie, with the Oscar winner playing the iconic opera singer. This is actually the first movie that Jolie has starred in since 2021, specifically the MCU movie Eternals. She is of course best known for Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Girl, Interrupted, the latter of which earned her the Oscar (Best Supporting Actress).

Joining Jolie in the Maria cast are Pierfrancesco Favino (Angels & Demons), Alba Rohrwacher (My Brilliant Friend), Haluk Bilginer (Persona), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog), Stephen Ashfield (The Devil's Hour) and Valeria Golino (The Beautiful Game).

Maria plot

Steven Knight, who previously worked with Larraín on Spencer, wrote the script for Maria. Here is the official synopsis:

"Maria tells the tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world's greatest female opera singer, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris."

Maria trailer

Netflix has released trailesr for Maria, previewing Jolie's acclaimed performance. Check them out right here:

Maria | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube Maria | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
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Maria | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube Maria | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube
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You can also watch this official clip from the movie:

Maria new clip official - Venice Film Festival 2024 - YouTube Maria new clip official - Venice Film Festival 2024 - YouTube
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Maria reviews

Critics have made Maria "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with an overall score of 75%.

Maria awards

Here's a look at the major awards and nominations that Maria has received to date:

Golden Globes

  • Best Actress Drama — Angelina Jolie (nominee)

Pablo Larraín movies

Originally from Chile, Larraín has made himself known across the world with his movies. Here is a look at his directing credits to date:

  • Fuga (2006)
  • Tony Manero (2008)
  • Post Mortem (2010)
  • No (2012)
  • The Club (2015)
  • Neruda (2016)
  • Jackie (2016)
  • Ema (2019)
  • Spencer (2021)
  • El Conde (2023)
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Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.

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