How John Malkovich became a pop sensation and horror star in ‘Opus'

Boston Globe

05-03-2025

But after decades of life as a recluse, Moretti has at last orchestrated a comeback, and he's invited a crew of journalists and media personalities to his remote sanctuary to preview his new album, 'Caesar's Request.' Among the guests is Ariel Ecton (Dorchester's own
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John Malkovich as pop star Moretti, whose mood heats up during a children's puppet show on his desert compound, in "Opus."
Courtesy of A24
Dripping in bejeweled couture — and surrounded by frighteningly devout followers — 'Opus,' which opens in Boston March 14, presents Malkovich as a bona fide pop deity, complete with a trio of original songs recorded for the film. Malkovich recorded the vocals for Moretti's mini discography at Cybersound Studios in the fall of 2023, shortly before filming began in New Mexico.
At the Back Bay studio, he met with 'Opus' writer-director Mark Anthony Green (making his feature debut), as well as song co-writers Nile Rodgers and The-Dream. The two musicians melded their respective pop prowess to craft Moretti's catalog; Rodgers is the groovemaker behind the disco group Chic, and has collaborated with icons including Diana Ross, Madonna, and Mick Jagger, while The-Dream has co-written hits for the likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Britney Spears.
'They had wanted me to come out to L.A. and record, and I just couldn't, I'd been bouncing around like a spinning top,' Malkovich said over a Zoom call last month. 'So they came out to Boston . . . I actually got the songs that morning, and I listened to them in the Lyft on the way to the recording studio.'
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Singing professionally wasn't an unfamiliar venture for Malkovich, who had previously starred in the chamber-opera-play 'The Giacomo Variations' in 2013. But recording a lusty, funkified dance track like 'Dina, Simone' — a song meant to be a hit from Moretti's heyday — was a new challenge.
'When we started singing, I started to explain to the engineer that I'd need to go an octave lower than how the recording was,' Malkovich said. 'He didn't seem terribly interested in that notion.'
So Malkovich stretched his vocal range, summoning an octave he hadn't used since age 11, when he wanted to join a boys' choir. The results sound effortless on
Filmmaker Mark Anthony Green (middle) gives direction to Malkovich and his co-star Ayo Edebiri for a scene on Moretti's compound in "Opus."
Courtesy of A24
Green first visited Malkovich's home outside of Boston in early 2023 to discuss the script and Green's hopes for the film. While developing the character of Moretti, the first-time filmmaker said he only had Malkovich in mind, feeling confident that he could animate Moretti's supersized lore within the film's 103-minute runtime.
'We have a short amount of time to contextualize him amongst the greats: his taste, the peacock flamboyance of it, the little bit of nastiness that John does really well,' Green said. 'Moretti has a fearlessness that I think John Malkovich also has . . . You want somebody to show up that is unafraid of the biggest, best, most interesting outcome, and that's what he brought every day.'
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That includes the actor's fearlessness when gliding around set in platform heels.
'I wore only high-heeled platforms in the '70s — at least six inches — so I actually had a great deal of experience,' Malkovich said. 'Weirdly, platforms don't really hurt your back much, although it could be a challenge to dance in them, to move in them.'
Examining society's ongoing obsession with celebrity was a key goal for the filmmaker, who previously spent years interviewing the likes of
As Moretti, Malkovich dances for guests in a space-suit-like outfit while he previews music from the new Moretti album in "Opus."
Courtesy of A24
'I think to gain the trust of people, you have to present a certain, let's call it, front,' Malkovich said recalling the allure of real-life cult figures like Jim Jones.
Moretti maintains that disarming 'front' for much of the film, whether he's twirling to his own music in a space-suit-esque getup, or explaining why his followers eerily take turns shucking oysters in a yurt ('If I go to Summer Shack, it's not for that,' Malkovich chides, referencing the local seafood restaurants). When his calm eventually ruptures, Malkovich unleashes his signature intensity, escalating Moretti from glam grandpa to volatile mastermind within moments.
'I don't think he's altogether horrific,' Malkovich said of Moretti. 'I mean, he's pretty bad, but a lot of pretty bad people have talents.'
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Victoria Wasylak can be reached at [e-mail]. Follow her on X @VickiWasylak.