Jacques Audiard’s musical crime comedy “Emilia Perez,” starring Karla Sofia Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Zoe Saldaña will begin filming in Paris this spring. 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 is directed by Jacques Audiard and is a musical crime comedy, which is supposed to begin filming in Mexico but instead moved to Paris.
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.”
Argentinian trans actor Karla Sofia Gascón will play a feared Mexican cartel leader who becomes a woman to avoid the law. The script is penned by Audiard, he co-wrote the screenplay with Thomas Bidegain, who collaborated on Audiard’s most successful films, including “A Prophet” and the Palme d’Or winner “Dheepan.”
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.
The filming update was confirmed by Variety.
