Jacques Audiard’s ‘Emilia Perez,’ starring Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña, and Karla Sofia Gascón, had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Following the screening, Gomez received the festival’s longest-standing ovation, lasting 9 minutes.
The film’s first Cannes press screening ended with such overwhelming applause that one critic remarked they hadn’t witnessed such a response in 15 years. We have also got the exclusive trailer, which you can see below.
According to reports, Audiard is seeking distribution in the United States for ‘Emilia Pérez’ following the Cannes screening. The musical comedy follows a fugitive who can’t get away from the law so has a sex change. Years later, she misses her children and returns as their aunt.
The film stars Sofía Gascón portraying Emilia Pérez/Juan “Small Hands” Del Monte, Gomez as Jessi, Saldaña as Rita Moro Castro, Édgar Ramírez, Mark Ivanir as Dr. Wasserman, Adriana Paz, James Gerard, Shiraz Tzarfati, Agathe Bokja, Marie-Elisabeth Robert, Eric Geynes, Anabel Lopez, Eduardo Aladro, Line Phé, Cyrus Khodaveisi, Yohan Levy, and Jonas Paz-Benavides.
Audiard claims the concept for ‘Emilia Perez’ occurred to him as “an opera libretto in four acts” more than two years ago, and that’s how he penned the treatment. “It was the first time that an idea for a film came to me in this shape, and that might explain why I will direct the movie in a studio.” Audiard says, “It’s like a return to a primary intuition.”
Produced by Pascal Caucheteux’s Why Not Productions, as well as Audiard and Valérie Schermann through their Paris-based banner Page 114. International sales are handled by The Veterans, Vincent Maraval, and Kim Fox. CAA Media Finance represents areas in North America.
According to a review, ‘Emilia Pérez’ is a wild and ambitious tale that endeavors to blend crime melodrama and trans identity, all underscored by a scrappy yet passionate musical presence. While Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez deliver solid performances, it’s the fierce portrayal by Sofía Gascón that truly shines as the standout star.
An insider confirms the soundtrack for ‘Emilia Pérez’ will be announced soon, with Selena Gomez having recorded a song for it. “El Camino” (The Way) is the Spanish song Gomez recorded for the film.
The release date for ‘Emilia Pérez’ in theaters is to be announced (TBA).
Standing Ovations at Cannes 2024:
| Movie Title | Duration (Minutes) |
|---|---|
| Emilia Pérez | 12 |
| Bird | 9 |
| Megalopolis | 7 |
| Furiosa | 7 |
| The Surfer | 6 |
| Kinds of Kindness | 4.5 |
| Oh, Canada | 4 |
