Selena Gomez’s critically acclaimed trans gangster film Emilia Pérez has shared a first look at its trailer.
Jacques Audiard (Paris, 13th District) wrote and directed the musical crime dramedy, which stars the “Calm Down” singer as Jessi, the wife of trans cartel leader Emilia Pérez (Cannes award-winner Karla Sofia Gascón).
Critics widely praised the Spanish language film as a “masterpiece” following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. It is reported to explore how transitioning is a part of the character’s journey, “but just the first act of a much larger story”.
The film sees Mexico City lawyer Rita (Zoe Saldaña) being kidnapped by Manitas’ team to help her flee the country with her children and wife so she can seek gender-affirming treatment and live in her correct gender.
In the trailer, the lawyer and the titular character finally meet again after she begins transitioning, to which Emilia says: “Manitas is dead. I am Emilia Pérez.”
Clips of musical numbers are also sprinkled into the trailer, which include both Saldaña and Gomez performing alongside the cast.
“Emilia Pérez follows the story of Rita (Saldaña), an overqualified and undervalued lawyer at a large firm that is more interested in getting criminals off the hook than bringing them to justice,” the official plot synopsis reads.
“One day, she is given an unexpected way out, when cartel leader Manitas (Gascón) hires her to help him withdraw from his business and realise a plan he has been secretly preparing for years: to become the woman he has always dreamt of being.”
Emilia Pérez will hit cinemas in France on 21 August before being distributed by Netflix in the US and UK.
Emilia Pérez has yet to announce a UK and US release date, but we’ll update you once it does.