Noomi Rapace to Play Iconic Opera Singer Maria Callas in Romantic Biopic CALLAS

Noomi Rapace ("Prometheus," "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Drop") has signed on to play the iconic and most influential female opera singer of the 20th century, Maria Callas, in the feature biopic "Callas."

Niki Caro ("McFarland, USA," "Whale Rider," "North Country") is attached to direct "Callas" from a screenplay she adapted from Alfonso Signorini's biography Too Proud, Too Fragile.

Maria Callas was the subject of Terrence McNally's Tony Award winning play MASTER CLASS, which premiered on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre on November 15, 1995. Directed by Leonard Foglia, the original cast featured Zoe Caldwell (as Callas), Audra McDonald (as Sharon), Karen Kay Cody, David Loud, Jay Hunter Morris, and Michael Friel. Both Caldwell and McDonald received Tony Awards for their performances.

Patti LuPone (from July 1996) and Dixie Carter (from January 1997) subsequently replaced Caldwell as Callas. LuPone went on to play the role in the West End production at the Queens Theatre, and Faye Dunaway played the role in the U.S. national tour in 1996.

In 2010, the play was revived on Broadway in a Manhattan Theatre Club production at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Directed by Stephen Wadsworth, the cast featured Tyne Daly as Callas, with Sierra Boggess as Sharon. Alexandra Silber made her Broadway debut as Sophie DePalma.

Content Media will handle world sales for the film "Callas" and introduce the project to distributors for the first time in Cannes.

The biopic is centered around the passionate relationship Maria Callas had with Aristotle Onassis over almost two decades. She's acknowledged to be one of the more important and recognizable opera legends of all time and certainly was one of the most emotive and visually dramatic.

Producers on the fully financed European production are Guido, Nicola and Marco De Angelis of Italy's De Angelis Group and René Bastian, Linda Moran and Victoria Bousis of New York-based Belladonna Productions, and Ben Latham-Jones of the UK's Ealing Studios and Londinium Films. James Spring of Ealing Studios, Brett Thornquest of Eclectic Vision in Australia, Jason Van Eman of Weathervane, and Jamie Carmichael of Content are Executive Producers.

Guido De Angelis, President of De Angelis Group, said, "This movie is about an extraordinary woman whose deepest desire is to lead an ordinary life with the man of her choice. Callas was la Divina, a goddess, who just wanted to be a normal woman; she found out she couldn't. It sounds like an ancient myth. Niki Caro immediately identified and superbly built into the script this epic, deeply emotional and dramatic quality of the story. And we are absolutely thrilled that Noomi has come unboard, as she is dream casting for Callas. We are convinced she will be able to embody the indomitable spirit of such an important international icon."

Content's President of Film, Jamie Carmichael said, "We fell in love with 'Callas' instantly. It's such an emotional and powerful story of one of the world's great romances - and we're certain that audiences around the world will be charmed and entranced by the passion, beauty and operatic splendor of this epic tale."

Noomi Rapace is a BAFTA nominated actress who earned mainstream 'leading-lady' status with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," and has gone on to star in such hit films as "Prometheus," opposite Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron; "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law; "The Drop" opposite Tom Hardy and Matthias Schoenaerts. She is represented by Magnolia and CAA.

About Content Media Corporation

Content Media Corporation Ltd is a London and LA-based private company that owns and distributes a significant library of film, television, and digital assets. The Company's library of rights includes over 5,000 hours of television programming, 200 hours of digital programming and 275 feature films.

Content Media recently closed a multi-faceted deal with Bruno Wu's Beijing-based Seven Stars Entertainment and Media, Ltd., in which Content acquired the Alive Group of companies allowing Content to distribute its extensive library of film and television rights through the Alive Group to the Chinese market, as well as a direct equity investment by Seven Stars into Content

The film sales division launched in 2002 and represents high profile, commercial feature films with great artistic and theatrical ambition. In addition to handling worldwide sales, marketing, and publicity, the company assists film producers in securing financing.

In addition to "Callas," Content's impressive international sales slate includes the Cannes Classics selection "Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans" the extraordinary, moving and white-knuckle documentary about one of the greatest movie stars of all time; the star-studded romantic drama "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," starring Jason Sudeikis, Maisie Williams, Jessica Biel, Orlando Jones, with Paul Reiser and Mary Steenburgen; Adam Rehmeier's intense action feature "Save a Bullet For Me";the hit HBO documentary "Going Clear: Scientology and The Prison of Belief" from Academy Award® winning director Alex Gibney, which was the network's most watched documentary premiere in a decade; Alex Winter's "Deep Web," narrated by Keanu Reeves; Rodney Ascher's acclaimed horror documentary "The Nightmare"; the comedy documentary "Bodyslam: Revenge of the Banana!"; the action/thriller "Pandemic" starring Rachel Nichols, Mekhi Phifer, and Missi Pyle, and Alfie Allen; the intense horror film "The Diabolical" starring Ali Larter; the uplifting emotional drama "Life at these Speeds" starring Billy Crudup and Graham Rogers; Academy® Award winning director Mike van Diem's return romantic comedy "The Surprise"; "Janis: Little Girl Blue" directed by Academy® Award nominated Amy Berg; the spy thriller "Newcomer" starring James Floyd and Anthony LaPaglia; the Caradog James directed supernatural thriller 'Don't Knock Twice'; the supernatural heist thriller "The Trust"; Oscar Wilde's "The Canterville Ghost" voiced by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie; and the romantic comedy "Comet"starring Justin Long and Emmy Rossum.