Just days after fans gushed that Selena Gomez had “got her old face back” during a glamorous London event, the former Disney star is now making headlines for one of the boldest and most provocative career pivots of her life.
The actress and singer is reportedly joining the cast of an upcoming film projected to receive an X/NC-17 rating, a dramatic departure from her Wizards of Waverly Place roots and wholesome Disney image.
Highlights
- Selena Gomez is reportedly stepping into her most provocative role yet with an upcoming X-rated horror-western film.
- The dramatic career pivot stunned longtime fans who still associate the star with her Disney image.
- Ironically, just days before the announcement, social media was praising Gomez for looking “like her old self again” during a London appearance.
The announcement immediately sparked intense reactions online, with many fans stunned by the drastic shift.
“That isn’t Selena Gomez anymore,” one user wrote.
Selena Gomez is making one of the boldest career pivots of her life, marking a dramatic departure from her Disney roots
Image credits: selenagomez
Selena Gomez is the founder of Rare Beauty, the wildly successful makeup empire reportedly valued at over $2 billion, and has also established herself as an acclaimed actress with roles including the hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, which earned her multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award nominations.
She also boasts a massive music career, with multiple Billboard No. 1 albums, three No. 1 pop radio hits, Good for You, Same Old Love, and Hands to Myself, as well as the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper Lose You to Love Me.
Image credits: Selena Gomez
As one of the most-followed people on Instagram and the most-followed woman on the platform, Gomez wields enormous cultural influence.
However, for many long-time fans, her image remains deeply tied to her Disney Channel days.
That’s why the recent announcement that she would join visionary director Brady Corbet’s upcoming X-rated horror-western film did not sit well with some viewers.
The 33-year-old is reportedly set to star in acclaimed director Brady Corbet’s upcoming four-hour-long X-rated film
Image credits: Canal22
The project was first announced on Sunday, May 17, when actress Cate Blanchett unexpectedly revealed the news during a cinema masterclass at the Cannes Film Festival.
Shortly afterward, it was confirmed that Gomez would star in the film alongside Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as the primary leads.
The rumored title of the project is The Origin of the World, a reportedly four-hour epic filmed entirely on premium 65mm film stock.
The story is said to span more than 150 years of American history, with a strong focus on the 1970s while exploring themes of mysticism and the occult.
Image credits: selenagomez
Previously, while teasing the project in an interview, Corbet, best known for The Brutalist, said, “The film spans from the 19th century into the present day — it’s just predominantly focused on the ’70s. The film is really, really genre-defying.”
Variety also reported that the screenplay runs approximately 200 pages, compared with the 165-page script for The Brutalist, and that filming is expected to take place across Portugal and South Africa during a 50-day production schedule.
The project continues Selena’s transition into more mature, boundary-pushing cinema following her acclaimed performance in Emilia Pérez, which earned her a Best Actress ensemble prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
One user reacted online, writing, “Women, wake up. You are being totally degraded and humiliated by Hollywood!!”
Image credits: selenagomez
Still, many online reacted negatively to the announcement. “Selena, you are lowering yourself. You have lowered yourself. Shame on you,” one user harshly commented.
Another netizen wrote, “Selena is going full circle… from a sweet innocent girl to an unrecognizable shell of a woman… and now an X-rated movie. Punishment in Hollyweird is brutal and designed to crush a celeb’s ego and spirit. She must have upset someone big!”
“This very well could be the end of her current career. Normally these X-rated movies are for the desperate…” remarked another critic.
Image credits: dreamboylnshibuya
For a large portion of the public, Gomez is still strongly associated with the innocent, family-friendly image of her Disney years, making her move into provocative, adult-themed cinema feel especially jarring to some fans.
Critics argue that she is leaning into shock value to fully distance herself from her child-star persona.
Many viewers also compared her transformation to past image reinventions by stars like Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears, both of whom famously adopted hyper-s*xualized aesthetics to break away from their teen-idol identities.
Critics argue that Selena is leaning into shock value to further distance herself from her child-star persona
Image credits: selenagomez
Ironically, just days before the film announcement, the 33-year-old star made a surprise appearance in London for an exclusive fan and influencer event promoting Rare Beauty in partnership with Space NK.
Her appearance stunned social media, with many fans claiming she looked “just like her younger self” from her Disney era.
“Why does she look so different — and in a good way? She looks just like her younger self. So beautiful,” one user wrote on X.
Image credits: selenagomez
“WAIT, why does she actually look like she got her old face back?” another commenter asked.
Others added, “I don’t know what she did, but she looks like the real Selena Gomez again…”
“She’s glowing! It looks like she either changed her style, got a new haircut, or is just genuinely happy lately,” another person commented.
“She listened to the timeline and got her face back, lmao… She actually looks like herself again!”
“Seems to be the obvious next role for a child actor in Hollywood…” one commenter wrote online
