Take a look at the first trailer that’s arrived for Emilia Pérez, a genre-defying new film from Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, Rust and Bone) starring Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Selena Gomez. Watch the trailer above and take a look at three of the film’s new character posters below.
Emilia Pérez follows the story of a Mexican cartel leader, played by Gascón, who, with the help of lawyer Rita (Saldaña), fakes their death and undergoes gender reassignment surgery, emerging with a new identity as Emilia Pérez. The trailer reveals a dynamic interplay of relationships as Emilia’s transformation not only affects her own life but also significantly impacts those around her. One of these individuals is Jessi, Emilia’s wife, portrayed by Gomez. Jessi struggles with the sudden changes in her life as Emilia re-enters the picture, disrupting the stability she once had.
For Saldaña’s character, Rita, the stakes are just as high. Eager for a breakthrough in her stagnant legal career, she jumps at the opportunity to take on Emilia’s complex case. As Saldaña explained to Netflix site Tudum, “Rita wishes that she would just have this one opportunity… When the opportunity presents itself, she doesn’t think twice.”
The film merges elements of action, drama, comedy, and musical opera to create a unique narrative experience. As Gascón described it, “You have an action movie that’s not an action movie, a drama that’s not a drama, a comedy that’s not a comedy. It is such a great gift, and I’m so proud to be part of it.”
Director Jacques Audiard originally drew inspiration from the novel Écoute by Boris Razon. The novel’s depiction of a transgender drug dealer undergoing surgery sparked Audiard’s imagination, leading him to craft this story. Audiard also envisioned the film as a modern-day opera. “I realised it was closer to an opera libretto than a film script,” he said, citing how the narrative structure and character dynamics felt more theatrical in nature.
Music plays a key role in the film, with original songs by Camille and a score composed by Clément Ducol. The choreographic sections were designed by Damien Jalet.
The film received wide acclaim when it premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Audiard secured the Jury Prize and the lead cast members, Gascón, Saldaña, and Gomez, shared the Best Actress honour.
Emilia Pérez, also starring Adriana Paz and Édgar Ramírez, is set to hit select theatres in the UK and Ireland on 25 October, with a wider release in the US and Canada on 1 November, before streaming on Netflix from 13 November.
