Where was Maria (2024) filmed?

Production

Pablo Larraín signed on to direct, working from a script by Steven Knight. The film is produced by Juan de Dios Larraín for Fabula, Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment Pictures, a Fremantle company, and Jonas Dornbach for Komplizen Film whilst FilmNation Entertainment had boarded^{[clarification needed]} the film as co-producer and would handle international sales to the film. Angelina Jolie's casting in the lead role was announced in October 2022.

Filming began in Budapest in October 2023, with other filming locations including Paris; Milan, where scenes were filmed at the La Scala opera house; and Pyrgos and Katakolo in Greece. Scenes set on Onassis's yacht Christina O were filmed on the actual vessel, which was rented for filming. Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas worked with Larraín on the visual concept, helping fuse the 1940 to 1970s style with the surreal musical sequences. According to the film's producers, no new fur was sourced for Jolie's garments which are based on Callas' original garments, with consultation with animal rights groups such as PETA regarding vintage fur items worn in the film from the archive collection of costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini. Parrini created 60 dresses for Jolie.

To prepare for her role, Jolie spent seven months training to sing opera. She was deeply anxious and doubtful of her singing abilities at first; her vocal coach Eric Vetro recalls Jolie breaking into tears at one point. To replicate Callas' singing techniques, particularly her ability to hold notes, Vetro had her study a series of courses taught by Callas herself. Jolie also received guidance from opera singer Lori Stinson. For the scenes set during Callas' heyday, an estimated 90 to 95 percent of Callas' original recordings were used, with Jolie lip-synching along to these songs. However, Jolie's singing comes to the fore during the film's final act.