Three years after starring as Thena in the movie Marvel doesn't like to talk about (Eternals), Angelina Jolie returns to the big screen as the protagonist of Maria, which serves as the last installment in a trilogy that began in 2016. The biographical psychological drama, directed by Pablo Larraín and written by Steven Knight, follows the later years of famous opera singer Maria Callas' (played by Jolie) life. Maria is set in the 1970s in Paris, where Callas lived away from the public eye until her death in 1977.

Maria premiered on August 29, 2024, at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and was released in some theaters in the United States on November 27. However, as of December 11, it's available to stream on Netflix.

Maria's reviews have been rather positive, with many critics praising Jolie's performance as the renowned opera singer. However, some might be surprised to learn that the 2024 Netflix movie isn't the first of its kind. In reality, Maria is the conclusion to an eight-year trilogy, with the first two installments also focusing on influential 20th-century women whose names many will recognize.

Maria Ends Pablo Larraín's Movie Trilogy About Influential 20th Century Women

Larraín's Trilogy Also Includes Jackie & Spencer

Pablo Larraín kicked off his trilogy of biopics about influential women living in the 1900s with Jackie in 2016. Spencer followed in 2021, and Maria caps off the series in 2024. As mentioned above, Maria revolves around Angelina Jolie's Maria Callas. As for the other two movies, Jackie focuses on former United States First Lady Jackie Kennedy (played by Natalie Portman), and Spencer chronicles Princess Diana's (played by Kristen Stewart) Christmas in 1991 when she considers leaving Prince Charles. Princess Diana was born Diana s Spencer, which is where Larraín got the film's title.

As of the writing of this article, the nominations for the 97th Academy Awards haven't been announced yet, but Jolie is already a frontrunner for Best Actress for Maria.

So, although the three movies don't exactly connect regarding the story, they are a part of a trilogy. People don't need to see one film to see another. However, they are all tied together because Larraín directed them, and they center around three of the most influential women in the 20th century. Larraín's work will end with Maria in 2024, though.

Maria Could Finally Fulfill A Disappointing Oscars Streak For Pablo Larrain's Movie Trilogy

Angelina Jolie Could Win An Oscar For Maria

While Larraín's 20th-century influential women movie trilogy has been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, the first two movies have failed to win Oscars. Both Portman and Stewart have received Oscar nominations for Best Actress, but they lost to Emma Stone (for La La Land) and Jessica Chastain (for The Eyes of Tammy Faye). The good news is that Jolie can break this streak. As of the writing of this article, the nominations for the 97th Academy Awards haven't been announced yet, but Jolie is already a frontrunner for Best Actress for Maria (per Variety).

Source: Variety