Angelina Jolie is the core inspiration for the upcoming drama film Couturewhere the project’s director revealed that the script was written specifically with the Oscar winner in mind.
The film, which features Jolie as a low-budget horror director named Maxine, balancing a high-profile fashion commission, a messy divorce and a devastating breast cancer diagnosis, closely mirrors the actress’ real-life personal and health journeys.
Director Alice Winocour explained that she needed someone special with a real connection to the narrative, noting that Jolie has a lot in common with the character, as she is also a director and has navigated her own well-publicized life struggles.
While Jolie herself was never diagnosed with cancer, the film’s plot, which draws directly from Maxine’s life, reflects Jolie’s own preventative health decisions.
The Hollywood star revealed in a New York Times story that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy after discovering she carried the BRCA1 gene, which drastically increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
The disease has greatly affected her family, taking both her mother at the age of 56 and her grandmother.
Winocour was drawn to this shared history and stated that she especially loved Jolie’s raw, punk spirit and energy, which was exactly what she envisioned for the film.
Speaking about that punk identity with Winocour, Jolie admitted that she actually considers herself more punk now than in her youth.
She described this energy as a counter movement to modern societal pressures and explained that choosing to protect one’s privacy and avoid being sucked into any current movement feels like a form of quiet rebellion when the world is in its current state.
The actress also hinted at her own personal life and much-publicized divorce from Brad Pitt, revealing that she feels like her fighting spirit is finally returning after being taken down a little bit.
She credited her children, now nearly all 18, for encouraging her revival and wanting to see her get back out to travel and experience the world.
Winocour, as the project was originally called Ride or dieexplained that the film explores female solidarity, the spirit of survival and the fragile moments shared between strangers who carry hidden scars behind perfect public images.
The audience will be able to see the deeply personal project when Couture hits theaters June 26.
