Selena Gomez’s Emilia Pérez: Release date, cast, & Everything we know so far

Emilia Pérez is a musical crime comedy written and directed by Jacques Audiard. The film is based on Audiard's opera libretto of the same name, which was loosely adapted from Boris Razon's 2018 novel Écoute.

The story is about lawyer Rita Moro Castro, played by Zoe Saldaña, who is kidnapped to assist a Mexican cartel leader with gender-affirming surgery. Karla Sofía Gascón achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first transgender actor to win a major award at Cannes. The musical crime dramedy released in French theaters on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, and then in selected cinemas in the fall before it becomes available on a streaming platform.

In this article, we will provide all the information about Emilia Pérez, including a streaming release date, where you can watch it, plot details, star-studded cast, and more. We will update this article with new updates as and when they are announced, so stay tuned.

Release date & Where to Watch

Emilia Pérez premieres on Netflix on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, and in select US and Canadian theatres on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, where it received a nine-minute standing ovation.

Selena Gomez receives standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival following the premiere of ‘EMILIA PEREZ’ pic.twitter.com/ml001PqQnT

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 18, 2024

Plot

Emilia Pérez is a unique story that breaks boundaries. It follows the journey of four extraordinary women in Mexico as they each pursue their own happiness. Emilia, a powerful cartel leader, asks Rita, an underappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help her fake her death so she can live authentically as herself.

Gascón, who plays the titular role, said, "You have a musical that is not a musical, 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."

Gomez, who plays Emilia's wife, said, "In the beginning of the film, Jessi is very much content with the life that she’s living with the family in Mexico, and that’s kind of where she was rooted. I think she gets so discombobulated once there is a sudden move, and she doesn’t know what to do."

Cast

• Zoe Saldaña as Rita Moro Castro

In an interview, talking about the movie, she said, "It was described to me as this film noir that didn’t really exist in any of the conventional kind of genres, but it was a musical. It was actually an opera and based in a crime world, but there was going to be a sense of justice, validation, and sanctification. And I was just like, ‘What?’ I had to read it more than once. And then, I couldn’t stop thinking about it."

• Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia Pérez / Juan "Small Hands" Del Monte

About her role, Gascón said, "Emilia Pérez is a phenomenal role. It’s a dream role that is hard to find because it has so much depth, so much richness. And for an actor to get into it, it needs a lot of dedication, and a lot of work because you have two voices that also sing with a Mexican accent. It is so huge."

• Selena Gomez as Jessi Del Monte

Gomez said in an interview, "I have spent a lot of my life trying to break the mold and the perception of who I am. However, I don't mind it because I don’t pay attention to it. Jacques, who really didn't know anything about me, took a chance and believed in me simply based on what I was able to do, and that was really special for me. I think this is a really big deal, and I choose projects according to the filmmaker, to the content, to the meaning, all of it."

• Adriana Paz as Epifania
• Mark Ivanir as Dr. Wasserman
• Édgar Ramírez as Gustavo
• James Gerard
• Shiraz Tzarfati
• Agathe Bokja
• Lucas Varoclier as Young Diego
• Marie-Elisabeth Robert
• Eric Geynes
• Anabel Lopez
• Eduardo Aladro
• Line Phé
• Cyrus Khodaveisi
• Yohan Levy
• Daniel Velasco-Acosta as Bodyguard
• Jonas Paz-Benavides

EMILIA PÉREZ stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz. In French theaters August 21. In select theaters this Fall and on Netflix November 13 in the US, Canada, and UK. pic.twitter.com/K8LxcbnOBO

— Netflix (@netflix) July 10, 2024

Official Teaser

Where was Emilia Pérez Filmed?

Filming was supposed to begin in 2022 in Mexico but was delayed and eventually started in May 2023 at a studio near Paris, in the Île-de-France region. It was completed in July 2023.