French directorJacques Audiardis prepping to film his next endeavor, a musical crime comedy entitledEmilia Perezthat was first announced in 2022. Led bySelena Gomez,Zoe Saldaña, andKarla Sofia Gascón, the feature is set to begin shooting this April, as revealed byVariety. Production was initially set to take place in Mexico but will now occur at a Paris studio.
The film centers on Gascón’s character, a Mexican cartel leader on the run who undergoes a sex reassignment surgery to escape the law and help her become “the woman [she’s] always wanted to be.” Ten years later, she returns to see her children but now poses as their aunt. Prior to the film, Gascón starred in a variety of Spanish-language series, includingEl Señor de los Cielos,Rebelde, andHasta el fin del Mundo.
At this time, there are no details on which characters Saldaña and Gomez will play. Currently, Saldaña can be seen inJames Cameron’sAvatar: The Way of the Waterreprising her role as Neytiri in the sequel. The movie released at the end of 2022 and has been abox officesuccess since. As of January 16, the film crossed the $1.9 billion mark in global sales and is on a fast track to hit and potentially surpass $2 billion. Saldaña is currently confirmed to appear in subsequentAvatarfilms. She will also return as Gamora forGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. BeyondThe Way of the Water, she recently starred in the Netflix limited seriesFrom Scratchand feature filmAmsterdam.
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Singer and actor Gomez has also had a busy couple of years, most notably with Hulu’s original seriesOnly Murders in the Building. The mystery comedy follows three strangers whose shared love of true crime sparks their own investigation of murders. It premiered in 2021 and garnered praise from critics and general audiences, eventually winning three Emmys and several nominations.Filmingfor the third season is currently under way.
Emilia Perezwas written and directed by Audiard, and follows his feature,Paris, 13th District. The film premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and was a contender for the Palme d’Or. It ultimately won the Cannes Soundtrack Award.Thomas Bidegainco-wroteEmilia Perezand previously collaborated with Audiard onA Prophetand Palme d’Or winnerDheepan. It is produced by Why Not Productions and Page 114.
Emilia Perezcurrently has no projected release window. In the meantime, watch our interview with Saldaña and herAvatarco-starSam Worthingtonbelow:
