Jolie is making the film with super-indie Fremantle, with which she struck a three-year international filmmaking agreement in March. Principal photography has begun in the Puglia (Apulia) and Basilicata regions of southern Italy, as well as in Rome.
The film is based on the international-bestselling novel by Italian writer Alessandro Baricco, and set in the aftermath of an unidentified conflict. It’s billed as exploring “universal truths about war, trauma, memory and healing.”

Hayek Pinault (“Frida,” “Eternals”) and Bichir (“A Better Life”, “Hateful 8”) will star alongside an international cast and production team.

The film is produced by Fremantle; Jolie’s production banner Jolie Productions; Fremantle-backed The Apartment Pictures, founded by Lorenzo Mieli; and De Maio Entertainment, founded by Lorenzo De Maio. The pic will be distributed worldwide by Fremantle.

“Without Blood” is Jolie’s fifth film as a director, and her first under her filmmaking pact with Fremantle in March this year. Jolie and Fremantle will jointly develop an internationally focused slate of feature films, documentaries and original series.

Jolie is repped by WME and attorneys Robert Offer and Lindsey Strasberg at Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern. Hayek Pinault is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360 and attorneys Edelstein, Laird & Sobel. Bichir is also repped by CAA.

Jolie said: “I’m honored to be here in Italy to bring this very special material to film, and to have been entrusted by Alessandro Baricco with the adaptation of his book — with its unique poetry and emotion and way of looking at war, and the questions it poses about what we search for after trauma or loss or injustice.”

Jennifer Mullin, Global CEO of Fremantle, said: “’Without Blood’ is the first production under our partnership with Angelina and we are excited to work with her and the incredible international team she has assembled. This project underlines Fremantle’s ongoing commitment to producing high-quality feature films and original dramas working with the very best talent from across the globe.”

“Without Blood” further underlines Fremantle’s ambitions in film. The company recently took a prize in Cannes for Félix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch’s “The Eight Mountains,” which shared the Jury Prize with Jerzy Skolimowski’s “EO.” Meanwhile, Paolo Sorrentino’s Fremantle-produced “The Hand of God” was nominated for the international feature Oscar earlier this year.