Electra: Borat 2’s Maria Bakalova will star in a thriller from director Hala Matar

If you were one of the many viewers who checked out Amazon’s 2020 film, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, you were likely introduced to the actress who portrayed Borat’s daughter, Maria Bakalova. The breakout actress not only kept up with the wild antics of Sasha Baron Cohen, but her performance had collected nominations for a number of awards, including a SAG award, a BAFTA, and an Academy Award. The actress has lined up her next role in a thriller for director Hala Matar.

Deadline reports that the film is already filming in Italy. The movie, Electra, will be a thriller about “a journalist who travels to Rome to interview a famous musician, only for the trip to end in deceit, betrayal, and murder.” This film comes from Daryl Wein, known for 2022’s Something from Tiffany’s, and Paul Sado. Both will serve as writers for the film, while Wein will also produce with the director, Matar.

Wein is set to play the journalist, while actress Abigail Cowen will be playing the photographer for the journalist, Lucy. Jack Farthing is tapped to play the musician, Milo, and Bakalova will be portraying Milo’s girlfriend, who is also a performance artist. 

Hala Matar is a Bahraini filmmaker known for her shorts and music videos featuring the talents of Kristen Stewart, Chloe Sevigny, Johnny Knoxville, and Suki Waterhouse. This will be the director’s first feature, and she has stated, “I am thrilled to be making my first feature film in one of the most beautiful countries in the world with this incredibly talented team of people.”

Bakalova can also be seen in A24’s Bodies, Bodies, Bodies and the upcoming Marvel movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by James Gunn. She is also starring opposite Zoey Deutch in an Amazon film directed by Electra co-star Daryl Wein, a rom-com named Something from Tiffany’s.