LGBTQ characters and storylines are reaching new heights on the big screen—literally!
Selena Gomez will star in a new biopic about trailblazing gay mountaineer Silvia Vásquez-Lavado, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Writer-director Elgin James (Little Birds) has been tapped to write and direct the feature. Oscar winner Donna Gigliotti (Shakespeare in Love, Silver Linings Playbook) will produce alongside Scott Budnick of One Community, an impact-focused production company.
The movie, titled In the Shadow of the Mountain, is based on the upcoming memoir of the same name by Vásquez-Lavado, which is slated for publication in winter 2022.
Vásquez-Lavado famously summited Mount Everest in 2016. In 2018, the Peruvian mountain-climber became the first out lesbian to climb the highest mountain on each continent, a challenge also known as the Seven Summits. Her mountaineering accolades aside, Vásquez-Lavado is also a survivor of childhood abuse and neglect. She has made a name for herself by organizing treks to Mount Everest’s base camp with other women who have endured abuse.
“Silvia is a force of nature,” Gigliotti told THR. “Scott and I are so excited to work with Elgin and Selena to tell this story of resilience, courage, adventure and humanity.”
Although Gomez isn’t openly gay, Vásquez-Lavado is totally pleased with her casting.
“My story couldn’t be in better hands!” the mountaineer wrote on Instagram in response to a comment from Gomez expressing her excitement about the project. “Thank you!”