Angelina Jolie is the core inspiration for the upcoming drama film Couture, with the project’s director revealing 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, heavily mirrors the actress’s 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 an immense amount in common with the character since she is also a director and has navigated her own widely publicised life struggles.
While Jolie herself was never diagnosed with cancer, the film’s plot drawing directly from Maxine’s life reflects Jolie’s own preventative health decisions.
The Hollywood star famously revealed in a New York Times op-ed 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 heavily impacted her family, taking both her mother at the age of 56 and her grandmother.
Winocour was drawn to this shared history, stating 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 alongside 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, explaining that choosing to protect her privacy and avoiding being sucked into every current movement feels like a form of quiet rebellion when the world is in its current state.
The actress also hinted at her own private life and highly publicised 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, who are now almost all 18, for encouraging her revival and wanting to see her get back out to travel and experience the world.
Winocour, who originally titled the project Ride or Die, explained that the film explores female solidarity, the spirit of survival, and the fragile moments shared between strangers who bear hidden scars behind perfect public images.
Audiences will be able to see the deeply personal project when Couture hits theatres on June 26.
2026-06-18 05:02:00
