In 1975, Schneider was cast opposite Jack Nicholson in the well-received Michelangelo Antonioni film "The Passenger", which remains one of the highlights of her career, and was the personal favorite of the actress. That same year, Schneider also starred in René Clément's final movie, the Hitchcockian thriller "", in which, according to Maria, the director actually wanted the actress for the villainous role; yet, when Antonioni screened "The Passenger" for him, Clément decided that Schneider would be ideal for the heroine. The picture, produced by Carlo Ponti (as with "The Passenger" and "Dear Parents") and also featuring Robert Vaughn, Vic Morrow, and Sydne Rome, went largely unnoticed by the public and critics alike.