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Once known as the golden couple of Hollywood, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have constantly been in the spotlight, especially due to their legal battle. However, as Jolie returns to the screen with her new musical dramaMaria, rumors have emerged suggesting that her ex-husband is attempting to undermine her Oscar chances.
However, it is unlikely that the alleged attempts from Pitt would succeed, especially after the Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins, renowned forMoonlight, publicly praised Jolie’s performance and even went on to compare her work to that of Denzel Washington’s iconic performance inMalcolm X.
Barry Jenkins Praises Angelina Jolie’sPerformance inMaria
Angelina Jolieis returning to the silver screen with her upcoming biographical psychological dramaMaria, which premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and has received positive reviews from critics.
Directed byPablo Larraín, the film is based on the opera singer Maria Callas, reportedly set during her final years in the 1970s while living in Paris. And theMoonlightdirectorBarry Jenkinsis highly impressed by Jolie’s portrayal of the iconic opera singer.
During aQ&A at AFI Fest,the filmmaker compared her performance to the Oscar-nominated roles ofDenzel Washington asMalcolm Xand Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg inThe Social Network.
The performance is so striking. It’s almost like, to me, Jesse Eisenberg is Mark Zuckerberg. Denzel Washington is Malcolm X, in a certain way. And I think you are Maria Callas in the same way.
Jenkins furtherhighlighted that Jolie not only conveysthe character’s emotions through her eyes but also uses her entire body to bring the character to life.“In this movie, in so many moments, you are performing with your whole body,”he said.
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Mariamarks the Oscar-winning actress’ first on-screen role since her last appearance in the 2021 filmEternals, where she made her MCU debut as Thena.
Angelina Jolie’s “Haters” Reportedly Don’t Want Her to Get an Oscar Recognition ForMaria
Following its premiere at the 81st Venice Film Festival, Angelina Jolie’s upcoming filmMariawill have a limited theatrical release before debuting on Netflix. The film has garnered significant acclaim, particularly for Jolie’s performance,which receivedan eight-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.
The praise hasfueled expectations that Jolie may receive an Oscar nominationat the 97th Academy Awards. However, recent reports suggest that her chances could be hindered due to the allegedintense teaming up of her“haters” against her. As perIn Touch Weekly,Brad Pitt has been supporting Nicole Kidman forBabygirlin an attempt to“get back at Angelina [Jolie].”The source told the outlet,
This support, which is meaningful to Nicole and her campaign, is really just Brad’s way of getting back at Angelina, who everybody knows is set up to win her first Oscar in 25 years.
The outlet also reported thatBrad Pittcould be teaming up with Jennifer Aniston, with whom he was married before theMaleficentstar, to work together in their attempt to undermine Jolie’s chances.
Additionally, thesource has also claimedSandra Bullock may have joined this effort, citing a past rivalry with Jolie over the 2013 filmGravity, a role that Jolie was reportedly interested in before Bullock was cast.
There are certainly people in Angie’s camp who think Sandra’s signature role in Gravity should have gone to Angelina, since that was a project Angelina was very interested in starring in herself before Sandra landed the part.
The report also suggests that Pitt and Bullock have grown a lot closer in recent years.“You’d hope for Angie’s sake, after all she put herself through to make Maria, that she could neutralize this threat but Jen’s social network is incredibly powerful, it’s tightly knit, and it’s full of A-listers,”the source told In Touch Weekly.
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However, despite these alleged efforts, Jolie reportedly has strong supporters in her Oscar campaign, including friends like Salma Hayek and Halle Berry, who are backing her in her pursuit of the prestigious nomination.
Mariais set to release on July 10, 2025, in select theatres and will premiere on Netflix on December 11.
Laxmi Rajput
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3448
Laxmi Rajput is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, with over 3,300 articles published covering film, TV, and pop culture. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in content writing, she pivoted to entertainment journalism because let’s be honest, superheroes, sitcoms, and Netflix binges are way more fun. Laxmi frequently covers Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and popular TV shows, offering both fan-first enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. Her work often dives into Marvel theories, revisits the genius of The Big Bang Theory, or unpacks the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.
