Selena Gomez’s “Emilia Pérez” to Represent France in the Best International Feature Category at 97th Academy Awards

Posted on September 18, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez’s latest film could earn an international Oscars nod…

France has selected Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical Emilia Pérez, starring the 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer, to represent it in the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.

In addition Gomez, the drama also stars Karla Sofía Gascón, who portrays cartel leader Emilia who enlists the help of unappreciated lawyer Rita (Zoe Saldana) to help her fake her death so she can live authentically as her true self.

It premiered at Cannes, where it earned its four actresses – Gascón, Saldaña, Gomez and Adriana Paz – a collective Best Actress award, and also clinched the jury prize.

The film was selected from a short list of four films which also included swashbuckler The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte; French-produced Indian drama All We Imagine as Light by Payal Kapadia and Misericordia by Alain Guiraudie.

This year’s revamped selection committee featured sales agent Carole Baraton, producer Nadim Cheikhroua, Venice Golden Lion winning Happening director and writer Audrey Diwan, distributor, producer and writer Michèle Halberstadt, sales agent Grégoire Melin, actress Clémence Poésy, producer David Thion, producer and distributor Rosalie Varda, producer Wachsberger and director, writer and producer Florian Zeller.

They made the selection after auditioning the sales agents, producers and U.S. distributors of the shortlisted titles on Wednesday morning.

Netflix reportedly swooped on U.S. rights for Emilia Pérez in the wake of its buzzy Cannes world premiere, pledged generous support for the awards campaign.

Pathé released the film theatrically in France on August 21, drawing some 735,000 spectators for a gross of roughly $5.9M. It will receive a limited release on the U.S. ahead of a November 13 launch on Netflix.

France last won the international film Oscar with Régis Wargnier’s Indochine in 1993. Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables was the last French film to make it through to the final nomination stage in 2020.

Selena Gomez Teases New Spanish Single “Mi Camino” From Acclaimed Film “Emilia Pérez”

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is following her own camino…

The 32-year-old Mexican American singer, actress, producer and businesswoman has taken to Instagram to share a clip of the dance-ready track, “Mi Camino,” which is featured in her upcoming acclaimed film, Emilia Pérez.

Gomez stars as Jessi Del Monte in the film.

“A little sneak peek of the song “Mi Camino” that I performed in EMILIA PÉREZ,” she wrote in the caption.

The clip features a blonde Gomez dancing on a man in a cowboy hat, belting into a microphone the chorus’ lyrics: “Si me caigo en la barranca/ Es mi barranca/ Si me doblo de dolor/ Es mi dolor/ Si me mando al séptimo cielo/ Es mi cielo/ Si me equivoco de camino/ Es mi camino.”

“If I fall into the ravine / It’s my ravine / If I double over in pain / It’s my pain / If I send myself to seventh heaven / It’s my heaven / If I take the wrong path / It’s my path,” the lyrics translate to.

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A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez)

This past spring, Gomez and castmates Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz collectively won the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for their work in Emilia Pérez.

The Spanish-language musical — which follows a Mexican drug lord (Gascón) embracing her true identity as a woman, will premiere in select theaters in other countries in November, as well as hit Netflix in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. on November 13.

Netflix Releases First Trailer for Musical Crime Comedy “Emilia Peréz,” Starring Zoe Saldaña

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Zoe Saldaña is mixing music, crime and comedy…

Netflix has released the first teaser for one of its most anticipated films of the year — the Spanish-language musical crime comedy Emilia Peréz, starring the 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress,

Hailing from Jacques Audiard, the film won multiple awards in its premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Hitting select theaters in the U.S. and Canada on November 1 before debuting on the streamer on November 13, Emilia Peréz implements song, dance and bold visuals to chronicle the journeys of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness.

Among them is Rita (Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, who agrees to help the fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) fake her death so that she can finally live authentically as her true self.

Also starring Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz and Edgar Ramírez, the film garnered an 11-minute standing ovation in its premiere in Competition at Cannes, winning the Jury Prize and the award for Best Actress, which was shared by the female members of the ensemble, as well as the Cannes Soundtrack Award.

Out of Cannes, Netflix snapped up North American and UK rights to the film, which was one of the buzziest participating in this year’s market.

In her review for Deadline at the time, Stephanie Bunbury said of the film, “On paper, it looks mad as a loose wheel. A largely Spanish-language musical about a Mexican druglord having a sex change, featuring a onetime Disney teen star Selena Gomez as a gangster’s wife…but here it is on the screen, a musical marvel.”

Written by Audiard, Thomas Bidegain and Léa Mysius, Emilia Peréz marked the former revered French filmmaker’s seventh film to play Cannes.

Selena Gomez & “Emilia Perez” Co-Stars Earn Best Actress Honors at Cannes Film Festival

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez and her Emilia Perez cast mates are celebrating a special prize.

The 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer, Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon have been awarded the Best Actress award as an ensemble at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for their performances in the musical crime comedy film written and directed by Jacques Audiard.

Saldaña stars as Rita, a Mexico City lawyer hired by the cartel kingpin Manitas to help him flee Mexico for gender confirmation surgery. This turns out to be the beginning of a relationship that will continue between Rita and Emilia Perez (Gascón). Emilia returns years later, posing as Manitas’ sister, to stay close to her children who are living with her ex-wife (Gomez).

Gomez, who was not present at the ceremony shared the moment that she learned about the win on social media.

In an Instagram story, Selena shared a video of herself getting a call from Zoe, who informed her of their big accomplishment. In the clip, the star appears to be outside enjoying a picnic and is clearly ecstatic about the news.

“We did it, we did it,” Zoe shouts as Selena responds, “I’m so excited!”

The film, which also won the Jury Prize and Best Soundtrack, earned one of the longest standing ovations during the fesical when it was presented last weekend.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Palme d’Or
Anora, dir: Sean Baker

Grand Prize
All We Imagine as Light, dir: Payal Kapadia

Jury Prize
Emilia Perez, dir: Jacques Audiard

Best Director
Miguel Gomes, Grand Tour

Special Prize
Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Actor
Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness

Best Actress
Emilia Perez ensemble: Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez

Best Screenplay
The Substance, Coralie Fargeat

Camera d’Or
Armand, dir: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

Special Mention
Mongrel, dir: Chiang Wei Liang

Short Film Palme d’Or
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, dir: Nebojsa Slijepcevic

Special Mention
Bad For a Moment, dir: Daniel Soares

Paramount+ Orders the Manolo Cardona-Starring Film “One Must Die”

Posted on June 26, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Manolo Cardona’s latest project is heading to Paramount+.

The streamer has given the green light to the 45-year-old Colombian actor’s suspense thriller film One Must Die.

The film centers around seven people who are kidnapped and suddenly find themselves part of a deadly game. As the clock ticks, to survive the seven participants must choose one to die and the chosen one will have to agree.

In addition to Cardona, the project also stars Maribel Verdú, Carla Adell, Juan Carlos Remolina, Adriana Paz, Dagoberto Gama and Fernando Becerril.

Cardona is expected to direct the film, which will be produced by VIS in association with 11:11 FILMS.

The project will debut exclusively in all international markets.

Cardona most recently starred on the Netflix series ¿Quién mató a Sara?

CBS All Access Offers First Episode of Juan Pablo Raba’s “Coyote” Series for Free Viewing on YouTube

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Pablo Raba’s latest project is opening its borders on YouTube…

CBS All Access is offering the public a chance to watch the first episode of its new drama series Coyote, starring the 43-year-old Colombian actor, on YouTube.

For a limited time, CBS’ streaming service is posting the premiere episode “Call of the Void” for free on YouTube.

The series stars Michael Chiklis as U.S. Border Patrol agent Ben Clemens, who has spent more than three decades protecting the U.S. border from threats to the nation – but now times have changed. Clemens now finds himself in a position of having to work for the very people he’s spent most of his life fighting against. But as Clemens experiences life on the other side of the wall, he soon realizes that his black-and-white views of the world no longer hold up to the cold, hard facts. Clemens will find his ideologies challenged and his loyalties questioned when it becomes all too clear that some of the deadliest threats he faces are “red, white, and blue.”

Raba stars as Juan Diego “El Catrin” Zamora, the head of a small family cartel in Mexico.

The series also stars Adriana Paz, Kristyan Ferrer, Octavio Pisano, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Julio Cedillo, and newcomer Emy Mena.

Emmy Award-winning executive producer Michelle MacLaren directed the series premiere and second episode and serves as an executive producer on the series.

David Graziano serves as showrunner. Co-creators Graziano, Michael Carnes, and Josh Gilbert (also serve as executive producers and writers on the series.

Adriana Paz Cast in Paramount Network’s “Coyote”

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

The huntis over for Adriana Paz.

The 39-year-old Mexican actress and dancer has been cast as a series regular opposite Michael Chiklis and Juan Pablo Raba in Coyote, Paramount Network’s one-hour scripted drama series.

Written by David Graziano, Michael Carnes and Josh Gilbert, Coyote is the story of Ben Clemens (Chiklis), who, after 32 years as a border patrol agent, is forced to work for the very people he spent his career trying to keep out of America. Now exposed to life on the other side of the wall, Ben will start to question his black-and-white views of the world, challenging his ideology and his loyalties.

Paz joins a cast of series regulars that includes Kristyan Ferrer, Octavio Pisano, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams and Julio Cedillo.

Paz will play Silvia, the proprietor of the local taqueria. Ferrer will portray Chayo, a member of the Cartel and has a very personal ax to grind. Pisano will play Sultan, member of the Cartel, he is a second generation Mexican American who has fled to Mexico. McWilliams will portray Holly Vincent, the smart, savvy, and streetwise HSI Agent. Cedillo will play Neto, a seasoned, local cop in a small Mexico town.

The project hails from Emmy-winning executive producer and director Michelle MacLaren, Dark Horse Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television. It’s slated to premiere in 2020.

MacLaren will direct the pilot and executive produce the series. Graziano serves as showrunner. Graziano, Carnes and Gilbert are writers and executive producers.

Paz’s previous credits include her Ariel Award-winning performance in La Tirisia, as well as roles in Rudo y Cursi, Spectre, Hilda and El Autor.

Ferrer, a 24-year-old Mexican actor, previously appeared in Sin Nombre, Ramon and600 Millas.

Pisano previously appeared in New York Undercover, iLove and If Loving You is Wrong.

Cedillo, a 49-year-old Mexican American actor, previously appeared in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Sicario and Narcos: Mexico.

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