Hollywood star Angelina Jolie is promoting the film “Maria,” which centers on opera diva Maria Callas. Critics are predicting a successful awards season for Jolie, potentially including an Oscar nomination. However, she is worried about outside interference. While she has friends in Hollywood, she also has many detractors, including Jennifer Aniston, her close friend Reese Witherspoon, and actresses Annette Bening, Laura Dern, Mary McCormack, and Andrea Riseborough.
Aniston has the most reason to resent Jolie, as her marriage to Brad Pitt ended in 2005 when he fell for Angelina during the filming of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Two years ago, this group of influential actresses banded together to support Andrea Riseborough’s nomination for Best Actress. Now, Jolie is concerned they may undermine her chances of winning the coveted statuette.
“Angelina is in a strong position as a leading Oscar contender. Netflix is already investing real money to draw attention to her performance in ‘Maria’ and include it in the shortlist. However, from Angelina’s team’s perspective, this year’s Netflix budget may not be enough, especially given the numerous mid-career actresses connected to Aniston, Witherspoon, and their extensive social networks,” an insider noted.
The “Maleficent” star hopes her role in the biopic will revive her career after a series of poorly received projects. “Recently, Angelina has attracted several Hollywood heavyweights to her camp, including close friend Salma Hayek, but the group opposing her is doing everything they can to ensure that the effort and passion she poured into ‘Maria’ go unrecognized. While Angelina also has influential friends, Aniston’s group has shown they can sway the nomination process, as they did two years ago.”
Jolie’s supporters are hopeful that after all she has endured to portray Callas, she can neutralize this threat. However, Aniston’s support is incredibly powerful, closely tied to many celebrities and producers. Additionally, Jolie’s ex-husband Brad Pitt is reportedly supporting Nicole Kidman for her role in “The Kid” at the Oscars, as a form of revenge for their ongoing legal battles over their shared assets since their separation in 2016.
“Netflix will play a key role in this, as audiences worldwide will have instant access to Angelina’s film once it’s released online. The question remains whether such widespread availability can counter the combined efforts of Angelina’s detractors to prevent her from winning an Oscar this season. We’ll find out soon,” a friend of Jolie commented.
