Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie to produce and star in Maude v Maude

Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie set to feature in Maude v Maude. Photos / Getty Images

After an intense few months and a “multi-studio bidding war”, it has been announced that Warner Bros has landed Maude v Maude, starring Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry.

The film, which has been kept under wraps for months, is an action thriller that has been described as a “Bond v Bourne” pic with exciting locations to be announced, according to Deadline.

The Oscar winner leads will not only star in the action-packed film, they will have a hand in producing the movie alongside Berry’s producing partner Holly Jeter via their HalleHolly label.

New Zealand director Roseanne Liang will be at the helm of the film project. Liang directed and co-wrote Shadow in the Cloud, a World War II film featuring Chloë Grace Moretz, which won a People’s Choice Award in 2020.

The script is written by Scott Mosier, whose work on The Grinch and Mallrats has established him as a big name in Hollywood.

While both Jolie and Berry have had illustrious careers on the screen, Maude v Maude marks the first time the actresses have worked together.

Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider.

No stranger to the action genre, Jolie is best-known for her roles in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life. Her work on films such as Mr & Mrs Smith, Wanted, and Salt marks her as an aficionado when it comes to action-packed flicks.

Halle Berry has also got her fair share of action movies under her belt, playing Bond girl Jinx in Die Another Day as well as Storm in the X-Men franchise.

Warner Bros co-studio heads, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, have reportedly been pushing to sign and seal more movie star-centric packages. The duo allegedly jumped at the Maude v Maude opportunity and proved extremely aggressive in the bidding war.

The studio offered an astounding eight-figure winning bid and locked in the film and its high-profile stars.

Streamers such as Apple and Netflix have been known to throw big money at packages like Maude v Maude. However, De Luc and Abdy were relentless in their play for the picture and it’s not the first time they’ve beaten streaming services to the punch.

Halle Berry in Die Another Day. Photo / AP

The duo were revealed as two of the more active buyers in the market when they were with MGM, outbidding other studios for similar big pictures such as Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci, which starred Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, and the Ryan Gosling-fronted Project Hail Mary.

Warner Bros’ latest move proves they’re not backing down from the film fight anytime soon.