Pablo Larrain calls it an “accidental trilogy” but nevertheless it has turned out that way. Starting in 2016 there was Jackie which won Natalie Portman a Best Actress Oscar nomination for playing the iconic Jacqueline Kennedy. Then in 2021 there was Spencer, his very unique take on Princess Diana that won Kristen Stewart a Best Actress Oscar nomination. And now – finally – there is Maria, the story of the final days in the life of Opera great Maria Callas as played to much critical praise for Angelina Jolie who is also drawing strong Best Actress Oscar buzz.
Joining me in conversation for my Deadline video series, Behind The Lens, Larrain tells me this is it, the finale of his (unintened) series focusing on iconic women who lived in the second half of the 20th century and made a significant impact that reverberates to this day. With Maria his take was to focus it on the end of her life and events therein, and with the casting of Oscar winner Jolie it was a risky bet since the star is not known for singing, particularly in the arena where Callas made her mark. The filmmaker tells us about how he and his star pulled it all off, a remarkable technical feat as well as the dedication and seven months of training her voice for Jolie which becomes one with Callas in memorable ways. Larrain spills the secrets.
We also talk about how this filmmaker and producer is one of the busiest in the world. He was on the festival circuit this fall not just connected to Maria which will be released theatrically and on Netflix, but also as a producer on market projects like The Luckiest Man In America and The Mother And The Bear which both premiered at the Toronto Film Festival . His documentary which he produced, The Eternal Memory was Oscar nominated last year. And his past triumphs included No which became Chile’s first-ever nomination for Foreign Language Film, and he also produced Chile’s first-ever winner in the category, Fantastic Woman directed by Sebastian Lelio, who also made Gloria for Larrain. His 2023 film , El Conde won an Oscar nomination for Ed Lachman’s cinematography and the pair are teamed again with Maria.
There is much to talk about so to watch our conversation and to go ‘behind the lens’ with Pablo Larrain just click the link above.
Join me every Monday during Oscar season for a new edition of Behind The Lens.