The Golden Globe-nominated star, Selena Gomez, is set to star in a new crime musical movie, Emilia Perez. The upcoming film, directed by Jacques Audiard, is also being described as comedic. Additional cast members include Karla Sofia Gascón and Avatar: Way of the Water star Zoe Saldaña.

While details about Gomez and Saldaña’s role have not yet been announced, the plot will center around Gascón, an up-and-coming trans Argentinian actor. Audiard describes the plot of the movie to Variety as a Mexican cartel leader, who will be played by Gascón, undergoing a sex change to evade the law. The script first came to the director as an opera libretto.

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Audiard says this film is a departure from his previous ones and will also be the first time he is the sole scriptwriter. Thomas Bidegain, who worked with Audiard on several of his scripts, will be on board as a creative collaborator for Emilia Perez.

The musical follows Paris, 13th District, which premiered at Cannes in 2021. Audiard was previously awarded the Palme d’Or for his film Dheepan in 2015. In addition to the prestigious award at Canne, Audiard also won the Venice prize in 2018 for his film, The Sisters Brothers, a violent western which stars Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal, and John C. Reilly. He has also been nominated for an Oscar for his 2009 film, A Prophet.

Gomez is known for her work on the Hulu television program Only Murders in the Building and has been acting since she was a child. Gomez rose to fame with roles on The Disney Channel’s, Wizards of Waverly Place.

Audiard Will Direct Selena Gomez Film in a Studio

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Audiard has chosen to direct Emilia Perez in a studio in Paris rather than on location. The Oscar-nominated director says that shooting in the studio will give him more artistic control over the film. Audiard states that the form will be more conducive to the film and allow for “more freedom for the parts sung and choreographed.”

Audiard wants the film to have authentic and vivid Mexican backdrops which can quickly and accurately be reconstructed in a studio.

“It was the first time that an idea [for a film] came to me under this shape, and that might explain why I will direct the movie in a studio,” says Audiard. “It’s like a return to a primary intuition.”