Aug 27
Watch: Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez Star in 'Emilia Perez' Musical
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 2 MIN.
A musical starring Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez is headed to Netflix in November, and reports say it already has Oscar buzz.
As reported by Variety, the Cannes-winning musical drama "Emilia Perez," directed by Jacques Audiard ("Rust and Bone," "A Prophet") follows four remarkable women in Mexico – one of whom happens to be transgender.
Netflix describes the film as "an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations" and tells its story "[t]hrough liberating song and dance and bold visuals".
"The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), 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" after undergoing gender confirmation surgery, the streamer details.
"Emilia Pérez is a phenomenal role," the Netflix site quoted Gascón as saying. "It's a dream role that is hard to find because it has so much depth, so much richness.
"And for an actor to get into it, it needs a lot of dedication, and a lot of work," Gascón went on to say, "because you have two voices that also sing with a Mexican accent. It is so huge."
With a supporting cast that includes Edgar Ramírez, the film received lots of positive feedback at Cannes this year, with Gascón, Saldaña, Gomez, and Adriana Paz all taking home the best actress award.
"Audiard's dazzling and instantly divisive film – which stars Zoe Saldaña as the lawyer who helps Manitas transition and Selena Gomez as the mother of their two sons – doesn't strictly adhere to the codes set by GLAAD and other LGBT advocates, and yet, 'Emilia Pérez' emerges as a powerful, unfiltered portrait of someone who challenges several stereotypes at once," wrote Variety film critic Peter Debruge about the film. "That's a testament to leading lady Gascón and the audacity of Audiard, who had the good sense to incorporate Gascón's personal experience into the character."
Look for "Emilia Perez" in select theaters on Nov. 1 and on Netflix starting Nov. 13.
Watch the trailer below.
