Angelina Jolie returns to the limelight at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday as Maria Callas, "La Divina", whose rich voice, glamourous persona, and tragic love affair mesmerised audiences around the world.
In "Maria", the modern-day movie star will strive to capture the transcendent dramatic presence and tormented life of one of opera's most resplendent divas in a biopic from Chilean director Pablo Larrain.
The film that premieres on the Lido Thursday evening, on the festival's second day, is the last in Larrain's trilogy of movies about iconic real-life women -- after 2021's "Spencer" about Lady Di and 2016's "Jackie" about Jacqueline Kennedy.
The director has said only a larger-than-life star in her own right could play the role of the American-born Greek singer.
