Selena Gomez Returns To The Big Screen To Play Country Music Legend In New Biopic
Selena Gomez is set to make a return to the big screen.
The pop star and actress will step into the shoes of country, rock 'n' roll and Latin music legend Linda Ronstadt for an upcoming biopic.
The casting announcement was made on the website of Great Eastern Music, a publisher founded by Ronstadt's manager, John Boylan.
"The long-rumored Linda Ronstadt biopic is now up and running. Selena Gomez is attached to play Linda," the publisher stated.
According to the announcement, the 77-year-old icon, who retired in 2011 due to a diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy, personally approved Gomez for the role.
"The two recently spent a few hours at Linda's home discussing the project and getting to know each other," the message continued.
The "Only Murders in the Building" star teased her new role Tuesday by sharing an Instagram story featuring Ronstadt's 2013 memoir, "Simple Dreams."
The biopic is currently in pre-production and is being produced by Boylan and James Keach, who also served as a producer on the 2019 Ronstadt documentary "The Sound of My Voice" and the acclaimed 2005 Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line," Variety reported.
No other information about the upcoming film, including other cast members and a potential release date, has been disclosed.
Ronstadt and Gomez are both of Mexican descent. The 31-year-old singer previously commented on her resemblance to the music legend during a 2015 appearance on the show, "On Air with Ryan Seacrest."
"I always used to get told that I look like her, and I started listening to her music because of that," Gomez shared at the time.
Ronstadt, who is perhaps best known for her 1975 No. 1 hit "You're No Good," released hit albums such as "Heart Like a Wheel" and "Simple Dreams" during the 1970s.
The music icon has garnered 11 Grammys and received lifetime achievement awards from both the Recording Academy and the Latin Recording Academy.
She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and celebrated by the Kennedy Center Honors in 2019.
Ronstadt announced her retirement in 2011. She was initially diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. However, she was later found to be suffering from a degenerative disease with similar symptoms called progressive supranuclear palsy, which left her unable to sing.
Meanwhile, in addition to having a successful music and TV career, Gomez has starred in various films, including "Spring Breakers," "The Dead Don't Die," "A Rainy Day in New York" and the "Hotel Transylvania" franchise.
Gomez's casting news came days after rumors surfaced that she gossiped about Kylie Jenner and her boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet, at the 2024 Golden Globes on Sunday.
The pop star later denied the claims in an Instagram post. Chalamet also confirmed that there was no bad blood between them.
On Wednesday, Gomez announced a hiatus from social media. Alongside a video of her boyfriend, Benny Blanco, she wrote on her Instagram Stories that she would be "focusing on what really matters."
