Over the course of his decades-spanning career, Jacques Audiard has proven over and over that he is not a filmmaker that can be defined by one genre, and his tenth film, Emilia Pérez, is no exception. The French director behind the BAFTA Award-winning A Prophet has never been bound by subject matter or language, from the devastating romantic drama Rust and Bone to the Palme d’Or-winning refugee thriller Dheepan or his Silver Lion-winning Western The Sisters Brothers. The latest entry to his body of work joins a thrilling narrative, striking visuals, hooky original songs, and emotive movement to create a singular cinematic vision. 

The musical crime drama centers on the powerful cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón, Rebelde) as she seeks out the help of Rita (Zoe Saldaña, Avatar: The Way of Water), an undervalued attorney, to help fake her own death in order to leave behind her drug empire and wife Jessi (Selena Gomez, Spring Breakers) for the promise of life as her authentic self. A tale of ultimate redemption and what it means to fight for a purpose, the Spanish-language Emilia Pérez marks the first time Audiard has written a feature screenplay on his own, and he cites operatic librettos and Boris Razon’s novel Écoute as sources of inspiration. Of his process as a screenwriter and a director, Audiard says, “I have an intuition, a starting point, and I use the time that follows to make things complicated, to muddy the waters, to hide behind masks . . . In the end, the film is closer to my original idea than all the different versions in between.” Joining the auteur in bringing the daring Emilia Pérez to the screen are Academy Award-nominated editor Juliette Welfling (The Diving Bell and The Butterfly)and cinematographer Paul Guilhaume (Paris, 13th District), along with musician Camille and composer Clément Ducol.

Casting the women at the heart of Mexico-set Emilia Pérez required finding performers who were comfortable with handling complex choreography and singing. “Zoe ticked all the boxes all at once,” says Audiard of Saldaña. “She could sing and dance as a lead dancer; plus, her acting is strikingly charismatic. She really wanted to do the film, but she was busy. We waited for her for a year.” Gomez, whose wide-ranging career has earned her Grammy and Golden Globe nominations, also had a unique blend of talents. “I met Selena one morning in New York. In 10 minutes, I knew it would be her. I actually told her, and she wouldn’t believe me,” says the director.

But it was locating his titular Emilia that proved the most challenging. “Hers was the most difficult role to cast. I couldn’t find the right person,” he remembers. It was not until he discovered Gascón that the character and her incredible journey clicked into place. “[Karla’s] sharp-witted, she has an acute mind, she’s inventive, and she has a great sense of comedy. What has stayed with me is her determination and courage,” praises Audiard. 

When the audacious drama premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, it was recognized with both the Jury Prize and the Best Actress award for Gascón, Gomez, Saldaña, and co-star Adriana Paz. Remarks the filmmaker: “I love them all very much and I enjoyed working with them each and every day.”