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Singer and actor Selena Gomez is all set to return to the big screen, starring in an upcoming biopic about inspirational Peruvian-American mountaineer and social entrepreneur Silvia Vásquez-Lavado.
The film will be based on Vásquez-Lavado’s memoir In the Shadow of the Mountain, which is expected to be published in 2022, and will see American actor Gomez step into the shoes of the pioneering mountaineer. Vásquez-Lavado is one of the few women in the world to complete the Seven Summits, which are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Gomez will not only star in the film but also serve as a producer through her company July Moon Productions. Academy-award winner Donna Gigliotti and Scott Budnick will also produce the movie, alongside the 28-year-old.
Peruvian-American mountaineer and social entrepreneur Silvia Vásquez-Lavado. Photo: Instagram/ @silviavasla
Since 2005, the Peruvian-American explorer has successfully reached the summits of the Earth’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, which she climbed in 2016, being the first Peruvian woman to do so. Alongside Everest, Vásquez-Lavado has seen the top of mountains Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid, Denali, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, and Vinson.
However, aside from her athletic achievements, Vásquez-Lavado has been hailed as an inspirational social-entrepreneur. After surviving sexual abuse during her childhood in Peru, the explorer founded Courageous Girls, a non-profit organization that helps survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking, working to heal and empower them through adventures in nature.
“Silvia is a force of nature,” producer Gigliotti told the Hollywood Reporter. “Scott [Budnick] and I are so excited to work with Elgin and Selena to tell this story of resilience, courage, adventure, and humanity,” she added.
Vásquez-Lavado, who will also be an executive producer to the film, has shared her excitement about the upcoming project on social media. “I am so humbled and grateful to share this thrilling news, which has been in the works for the last 10 months, that an all-star team has optioned my upcoming memoir In The Shadow of the Mountain for a movie adaptation,” she said on Instagram. Vásquez-Lavado gave a special mention honoring Gomez, who she called “bold, talented, and brilliant”.
While it is not yet known when the movie is expected to be released, the film is already generating Oscar buzz.
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