First look: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt star as married couple in 'By The Sea'

NEW YORK, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- A month after Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt began filming their joint movie By The Sea, the couple has finally shed light on the project.

By the Sea is set in 1970s France, and tells the story of a married couple: Vanessa (Jolie) and Roland (Pitt) as they travel the country together while dealing with marital issues. During their journey, the couple begins to build relationships with the town locals.

"I chose to set 'By the Sea' in the 1970s, not only because it is a colorful and alluring era, but because it removes many of the distractions of contemporary life and allows the focus to remain squarely on the emotions that the characters experience in their journey," Jolie told Entertainment Weekly.

The film marks the couple's first time working together since co-starring in the 2005 action flick, Mr. and Mrs. Smith and has served, in a way, as the couple's honeymoon. Jolie and Pitt began filming in Malta in early August and resumed shortly after getting married in France later that month.

Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley said she signed on to the film after finding that Jolie's script was "raw" and "timeless."

"I was struck by the fact that she and Brad are willing to bring such a brave endeavor to screen and take audiences on this raw, emotional journey that's simultaneously of its moment and surprisingly timeless," she said.

Pitt will also serve as co-producer for the film with Jolie. Shooting is expected to continue thought mid-November.

You can check out more stills from the By The Sea on the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly.