Niki Caro to Co-Write and Direct a Film About Opera Legend Maria Callas

Niki Caro is writing and directing Callas, a new film about the legendary opera star Maria Callas, based on the book Too Proud, Too Fragile by Alfonso Signorini, who will also take a writing credit on the film.

The Rome-based De Angelis Group is producing.

The New Zealand-born Caro, director of such films as Whale Rider, North Country and The Vintner’s Luck, is repped by ICM, which brokered the deal on her behalf and also is representing North American rights on the project.

Callas’ dramatic life and career has been the subject of a number of documentaries and narrative features. Franco Zeffirelli focused on her later years in 2002’s Callas Forever.  Actresses playing Callas also appeared in the TV movies Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and Onassis: The Richest Man in the World.

“We fully expect Callas to become one of the most important films in the De Angelis dossier as the source material provided by Mr. Signorini’s book is the most in-depth to date about the life of the controversial opera star.  We’ve put together a very strong production team from Niki Caro on to bring this story to screen,” said the De Angelis Group’s Andrea Zoso.