LOS ANGELES – Selena Gomez will portray pioneering Peruvian mountaineer and social entrepreneur Silvia Vasquez-Lavado in a new film, based on Vasquez-Lavado’s upcoming memoir “In the Shadow of the Mountain.”
Vasquez-Lavado is the first gay woman to complete the Seven Summits, the highest mountains (including Mount Everest) on each of the seven continents. She is also the founder of Courageous Girls, a nonprofit that helps survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking, and has organized excursions for abuse survivors to the Mount Everest base camp. “In the Shadow of the Mountain” is expected to be published in 2022.
Gomez will produce “In the Shadow of the Mountain” through her July Moon Productions. Other producers are Scott Budnick through his One Community banner and Academy Award winner Donna Gigliotti through her Tempesta Films company. Vasquez-Lavado and Lara Love Hardin of Idea Architects are executive producing.
Elgin James, the writer-director of “Little Birds,” will pen and direct “In the Shadow of the Mountain.” He wrote the film “Lowriders” and co-created the series “Mayans M.C.”
Gomez has feature film credits on Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers” and Jim Jarmusch’s “The Dead Don’t Die.”
Gigliotti won a best picture Oscar for producing “Shakespeare in Love,” and was nominated in that category for “The Reader,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Hidden Figures.” She also produced the 2019 Academy Awards.
Gomez is repped by WME, Lighthouse Management & Media and the law firm Ziffren Brittenham. Vasquez-Lavado is represented by WME and Idea Architects. James is represented by WME, Jamie Patricof at Hunting Lane and attorney Tara Cole.
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