In the highly anticipated first trailer for the upcoming crime drama “Emilia Pérez,” pop superstar Selena Gomez takes on a gritty, unexpected role as she transforms into a cartel wife living in the dangerous underworld of Mexico’s drug trade.
It’s already getting Oscar buzz, as it took home the jury prize at Cannes Film Festival, as well as the the best actress award for Saldana, Gomez and co-stars Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz.
Gomez, 32, was moved to tears after “Emilia Pérez” received a nine-minute long standing ovation at the Cannes. This was the longest standing ovation for any movie premiere at France’s cinema bash for 2024.
“Emilia Pérez” is about a Mexican cartel leader, played by Gascón, who is seeking gender-affirming surgery. Gomez plays Gascón’s on-screen wife.
In the movie, the “Good for You” singer sports a blond bob. Édgar Ramírez also stars in the musical crime comedy.
“This odyssey follows the journey of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Gascón) enlists Rita (Saldana), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help fake her death so that Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self.”
EMILIA PERÉZ features fearless performances from Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Karla Sofía Gascón.
This pop opera, narco thriller is the latest from director Jacques Audiard. @EmiliaPerezFilm will be heading to @TIFF_NET!
Streaming on @netflix in November!#EmiliaPerez… pic.twitter.com/c9zsyGOAE5— Critics Choice Awards (@CriticsChoice) August 27, 2024
With a brooding, cinéma vérité-inspired aesthetic, the trailer hints at the moral complexities and high-stakes tensions that will permeate the narrative, as Emilia is drawn deeper into a world she never wanted, yet now must survive by any means necessary.
Gomez told Variety at the festival that she was smitten by “Emilia Pérez” once she read the script.
“It was captivating, it was heartbreaking, it was really moving to me,” she said.
“Emilia Pérez” will offer viewers a gritty, unflinching exploration of the human cost of the drug war, with Selena Gomez poised to captivate audiences with her most challenging and transformative role to date.
The Grammy-nominated artist also enjoyed singing in the film, telling the outlet, “I had a blast and I love the songs. I think they’re really beautiful.”
“I wanted to be an actress, I never really intended on being a singer full time, but apparently that hobby turned into something else,” Gomez said on the “SmartLess” podcast earlier this year.
“I don’t think I’m the best singer, but I do know how to tell stories and I love being able to make songs.”
“Emilia Pérez” will open in select theaters on Nov. 1 before streaming on Netflix starting Nov. 13.
