Pablo Larraín to Direct Angelina Jolie in Biopic About Opera Legend Maria Callas

Pablo Larraín has lined up his next biopic…

The 46-year-old Chilean filmmaker will direct Maria, a biopic about the life of American-born Greek soprano Maria Callas as his next feature, and he’s locked in Academy Award-winner Angelina Jolie in the starring role.

Pablo LarraínBased on true accounts, the film will tell the tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the world’s greatest opera singer, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris.

The film was written by Oscar-nominee Steven Knight, who wrote Larraín’s Princess Diana biopic Spencer. The filmmaker’s brother and creative partner Juan de Dios Larraín will produce for Fabula Pictures, alongside Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment Pictures, a Fremantle Company, and Jonas Dornbach for Komlizen Film.

“Having the chance to combine my two most deep and personal passions, cinema and opera, has been a long-awaited dream,” said Larraín. “To do this with Angelina, a supremely brave and curious artist, is a fascinating opportunity. A true gift.”

“I take very seriously the responsibility to Maria’s life and legacy. I will give all I can to meet the challenge,” added Jolie. “Pablo Larraín is a director I have long admired. To be allowed the chance to tell more of Maria’s story with him, and with a script by Steven Knight, is a dream.”

Larraín is best known for features including Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, and Jackie, which had Natalie Portman portraying Jackie Kennedy.

He also directed and executive produced the Apple series Liseys’ Story, based on the Stephen King novel. Other notable directorial credits include Ema, Neruda, The Club and No.

Karol G Releases New Single “Ay DiOs Mio,” an Ode to Her Fiancé Anuel AA

Karol G is opening up about love through her music…

The 29-year-old Colombian reggaeton singer/songwriter has released her new single “Ay DiOs Mio,” which she co-wrote with Danny Ocean.

Karol G

During the writing process, the track morphed into a tale of how she met her fiancé, rapper Anue lAA.

“I sat down with Danny and he came up with the idea of ‘She wrote me,’” Karol told Billboard during an exclusive Zoom interview.

“I said, ‘What? No. Not ‘she wrote me.’ In this song I’ll tell the story of how I met Ema [short for Emmanuel, Anuel’s real name]. The song starts from the moment Ema first wrote me a DM on Instagram and how he sent me DMs in Instagram and WhatsApp, until the day we met and went out. And when we went out, in the middle of dancing, and whether I’d go home with him or not.”

“Ay DiOs Mío [Oh My God],” produced by longtime collaborator Ovy On The Drums, is reminiscent of “Tusa,” Karol G’s smash hit with Nicki Minaj, in the use of a slow intro that then breaks into a slow, sensual reggaetón.

Working with Danny Ocean, however, was a departure for an artist used to writing alone. “But that’s the way you grow and evolve,” adds Karol G. Evolving, she says, has been front of mind since the COVID-19 epidemic and lockdown.

“There is so much pressure that you start losing your way,” she says. “Trying so hard to fit in was making me lose myself, doing a million things at the same time but with no direction. … Understanding myself has been the most important thing during these times, and I can tell you with absolute conviction that I’m Carolina again, the one who did music at home 14 years ago, and it’s connected to the entire concept of my [upcoming] album.”

Karol G’s new album is slated for the fall. 

Music Box Films to Release Pablo Larraín’s “Ema” in U.S. Theaters Next Summer

Pablo Larraín latest film is headed to the U.S.

Music Box Filmshas acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the 43-year-old Chilean filmmaker’s Venice Film Festival drama Ema, starring newcomer Mariana Di GirolamoGael García Bernaland Santiago Cabrera.

Pablo Larraín

Music Box plans to release the Sundance Film Festival-bound drama in theaters in summer 2020. 

Ema charts a woman’s odyssey of personal liberation after a shocking incident upends her family life and marriage to a tempestuous choreographer.

“I feel proud and excited to be working again with Music Box Films, a wonderful company for a movie like Emain the USA,” said feted Chilean director Larraín. “It’s truly amazing.” 

The distributor previously released Larrain’s 2015 film The Club.

“This is one of those films that you have to see to believe,” added Music Box Films’ president William Schopf. “Entirely singular, hypnotic, and compelling, it’s a film that absolutely seduces the senses.”

Emamarks the third collaboration between Larraín and García Bernal, after they previously worked together on No(2012) and Neruda(2016).