Angelina Jolie is the main inspiration for the upcoming drama film Haute Coutureand the project’s director revealed that the script was written specifically with the Oscar winner in mind.
The film, which stars Jolie as a low-budget horror director named Maxine balancing a high-profile fashion assignment, a messy divorce, and a devastating breast cancer diagnosis, largely mirrors the actress’ real-life personal and health journeys.
Director Alice Winocour explained that she needed someone special with a genuine connection to the narrative, noting that Jolie has a lot in common with the character, as she is also a director and has gone through her own well-publicized life struggles.
While Jolie herself was never diagnosed with cancer, the film’s plot is based directly on Maxine’s life and reflects Jolie’s own preventative health decisions.
The Hollywood star revealed in a New York Times op-ed that she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy after discovering she carried the BRCA1 gene, which dramatically increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
The disease has strongly impacted his family, taking with it both his 56-year-old mother and his grandmother.
Winocour was drawn to this shared history and stated that she particularly 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 countermovement to modern social pressures, explaining that choosing to protect your privacy and avoid being sucked into every current movement feels like a form of silent rebellion when the world is in its current state.
The actress also hinted at her own private life and her highly publicized divorce from Brad Pitt, revealing that she feels like her fighting spirit is finally returning after being knocked down a bit.
She credited her children, who are now almost all 18, for encouraging her resurgence and wanting to see her return to traveling and experiencing the world.
Winocour, who originally titled the project ride or dieexplained that the film explores female solidarity, the spirit of survival and the fragile moments shared between strangers who carry scars hidden behind perfect public images.
The public will be able to see the deeply personal project when Haute Couture hits theaters June 26.
